JUST KILLING TIME by Julianne Holmes 

THE BIG CHILI by Julia Buckley

JUST KILLING TIME

Book 1 in the Clock Shop Mystery series 

by Julianne Holmes 

First in a new cozy series that ticks with excitement and mystery!

Ruth Clagan may be an expert clockmaker, but she’s always had a tendency to lose track of time. And when trying to solve a murder, every minute counts…

Ruth’s beloved grandfather instilled in her a love of timepieces. Unfortunately after her grandmother died and he remarried, Ruth and Grandpa Thom became estranged. She’s wanted to reconnect after her recent divorce, but sadly they’ve run out of time. Her grandfather has been found dead after a break-in at his shop—and the police believe he was murdered.

Now Ruth has been named the heir to Grandpa Thom’s clock shop, the Cog & Sprocket, in the small Berkshire town of Orchard, Massachusetts. As soon as she moves into the small apartment above the shop and begins tackling the heaps of unfinished work, Ruth finds herself trying to stay on the good side of Grandpa’s bossy gray cat, Bezel, while avoiding the step-grandmother she never wanted. But as old secrets and grudges start to surface, Ruth will have to kick into high gear to solve the killer case before someone else winds up dead…

MY REVIEW

A wonderful debut from author Julianne Holmes. The Clock Shop Mystery series is sure to stand the test of time.

JUST KILLING TIME had me in the first two chapters. My heart went out to protagonist, Ruth Clagan when she learned of her grandfather’s death. Normally we hear of a death in the lead character’s life. But being there when she is told made me feel connected to her.

Ms. Holmes as delivered an exceptional mystery with a wonderful storyline that brought one a wide range of emotions. It was uplifting to see Ruth welcomed by so many when she came back to town. There were fun moments that had me laughing. And the investigation into her grandfather’s death which was filled with many twists that kept me intrigued all the way through to the reveal. Add to that a heartwarming conclusion that had me in tears while reading, and tearing up even now as I write this review.

If Ms. Holmes keeps her gears turning in future books the way she did for JUST KILLING TIME, we readers are in for great times ahead!

Don’t waste any time getting your own copy. You’re going to love every minute and hour you spend reading this wonderful book!

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THE BIG CHILI

Book 1 in the Undercover Dish Mystery series 

by Julia Buckley

First in a delicious new mystery series filled with casseroles, confidences, and killers...

Lilah Drake’s Covered Dish business discreetly provides the residents of Pine Haven, Illinois, with delicious, fresh-cooked meals they can claim they cooked themselves. But when one of her clandestine concoctions is used to poison a local woman, Lilah finds herself in a pot-load of trouble…

After dreaming for years of owning her own catering company, Lilah has made a start into the food world through her Covered Dish business, covertly cooking for her neighbors who don’t have the time or skill to do so themselves, and allowing them to claim her culinary creations as their own. While her clientele is strong, their continued happiness depends on no one finding out who’s really behind the apron.

So when someone drops dead at a church Bingo night moments after eating chili that Lilah made for a client, the anonymous chef finds herself getting stirred into a cauldron of secrets, lies, and murder—and going toe to toe with a very determined and very attractive detective. To keep her clients coming back and her business under wraps, Lilah will have to chop down the list of suspects fast, because this spicy killer has acquired a taste for homicide…

I have just found one of my favorite new series of 2015!

Author Julia Buckley is a new voice in the cozy mystery world. Like most readers who series books, I get both excited and a little unsure when the first in a new series comes out. Especially when it’s by an author I’m not familiar with. Well, by the time I was on page three of THE BIG CHILI, I was really enjoying it and by the end of chapter one, I was hooked! This was another read in one sitting book for me.

This delectable debut novel has everything I love in a cozy mystery. Superb writing, a cast of great, quirky characters, and a sweet small town setting. This story also has a wonderful dog in it that was the icing on the cake for me. Or should I say the cheese on the chili? ;-)

Ms. Buckley’s theme of undercover dishes is original and enjoyable to read. A perfect cozy for autumn reading, snuggled in a favorite chair with a cup of tea. There are a lot of fun moments in this story. I loved sneaking around town with main character Lilah Drake and her chocolate Lab, Mick, delivering covered dishes to clandestine locations, to the cooking impaired. The fun took nothing away from the mystery, which was compelling and well done. Just the right amount of twists to keep the reader guessing the whole way through until all is revealed.  

Mystery fans, you have got to read THE BIG CHILI. You won’t be disappointed. Like me, you’ll be anxiously waiting for the author to cook up another story that we can dive into and gobble up.

Speaking offing gobbling up, check the back of the book for some delicious sounding recipes!

All titles are available for pre-order

Release date: Tuesday October 6

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