Wednesday, July 12, 2017

The House on Devil's Bar by Jessie McAlan (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT





by Jessie McAlan

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GENRE:   US Amateur Sleuth

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BLURB:

The police verdict of a woman’s accidental drowning in the Mississippi River does more than set tongues wagging in the small Missouri town of Klim; it starts a flood of cancellations that threaten to sink Rona Murray’s bakery and events business. And blacken her good name. Determined to save both, she starts her own investigation to prove she and her property are blameless.  Barbara Lindborg had stopped by Linn House to consider renting it for a party. Yet, when Rona returned from accepting a delivery, the woman had vanished.

Rona’s preliminary search for Barbara yields nothing more than suggestive footprints on the Bar.  Did the woman accidentally fall into the river?  Was she pushed – and if so, why?  A later hunt reveals Barbara’s cell phone in the woods. How did it get halfway up the hill if the woman drowned a hundred feet below? The phone’s camera holds snaps of Klim, its residents, and the Bar. Do any of these hold a clue to her death? Or did her and Rona’s earlier conversation about history and treasure have a different meaning?

Suspects and motives pop up like bubbles in yeast. Is Matt, an employee, still bitter about his and Barbara’s divorce? What about Rona’s own ex, Johnny? Is he trying to drive her out of business, or is his current girlfriend, Crystal, jealous of their relationship and trying to eliminate the competition? A bit like calling the kettle black, for Crystal seems very friendly with Frank, the bad boy neighbor. Frank isn’t lily-white, either. He dislikes Rona; is he behind the pranks on her property or mixed up in Barbara’s death?  It isn’t until Rona’s life is threatened one stormy night that she learns the killer’s identity and her true feelings about Johnny.


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EXCERPT:

Rona paused in the doorway and watched Crystal climb the steps to the gazebo.

Johnny smiled, amused at Rona’s interest. “She’s a nature lover.”

“Yeah?”

“Forget about her for the moment, Ronnie.”

“I’d be glad to. Can you? She seems to be…well endowed.”

“Yes.”

“I’m speaking of all those gold bracelets, Dear.”

“Right. I think they’re trinkets from her ex-husband.”

“I didn’t know the wife got gifts at the divorce proceedings.”

“I didn’t phrase that right, Ronnie. He gave them to her during their marriage.”

“So she clings to them instead of his arm. Charming.”




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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A family trip to the Big Spring area in the Missouri Ozarks introduced Jessie to the wonders of nature.  Her summer stints as a camp counselor and canoeing instructor cemented her enthusiasm.  This love of the natural world and the river flows through her Linn House mysteries.
In 2001 Jessie graduated from Webster University with a BA degree and departmental honors in English.

She lives in the St Louis, MO area and spends as much time as she can camping and watching the barges on the river.



TRADE PAPER EDITION:
Amazon.com - http://goo.gl/QumrBS
Amazon.com.ca - http:// goo.gl/t43B6R
Amazon.com.uk – http:// goo.gl/z3i9gL
Amazon.com.fr – http:// goo.gl/7oOfVc
Amazon.com.de – http:// goo.gl/2MCnqA
E-BOOK EDITION: 

Amazon.com - http:// goo.gl/RmyZOv
Amazon.com.uk – http:// goo.gl/jcJ0DJ
Amazon.com.ca – http://goo.gl/T6CPGH
Amazon.com.au – http:.. goo.gl/UQY4V2
Amazon.com.fr – http:// goo.gl/7oOfVc
Amazon.com.de – http:// goo.gl/tgRNNG


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GIVEAWAY
(my deepest apologies for inadvertently making this disappear!)
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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

The House on Devil's Bar  by Jessie McAlan is a gentle mystery set in the town of Klim, Missouri, that centers around Rona Murray and the disruption of her life when a potential client disappears during their initial chat. Events transpire that are eerily similar to an occurrence from a decade earlier and Rona’s fledgling business is being negatively impacted. Her search to find out the truth about the woman’s disappearance leads her to discover odd secrets about her friends and neighbors, and the reappearance of her ex-husband just compounds the complications she is facing. Rona may be tenacious enough to get to the bottom of the mystery, but she may not live long enough to derive satisfaction from her success.

This story evokes the combination of small-town life and the connection to nature shared by those who live in a more remote area. The mystery starts off as just a weird and unexpected reaction to a sales pitch but as more and more characters are introduced there are surprising twists and connections that aren’t readily apparent at first glance. I liked watching the mystery unfold and getting glimpses of the beautiful environment that is the setting for the action. I think Rona is a complex and determined businessperson, but she’s a bit naïve and headstrong and I was frustrated by her constant forays into danger. Her relationships with others seem to be erratic and confusing, providing plenty of red herrings to direct attention away from the villain(s). There are some dangling threads and unresolved issues that I suspect connect to a subsequent story or two. Someone in search of a light mystery set in a small town will probably enjoy this quick read.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review

10 comments:

  1. Congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)

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    1. Lisa, thank you for stopping by...and good luck on the raffle drawing!

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  2. Good morning! Thank you for hosting this segment of the book review tour -- I appreciate it!

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  3. congrats on the tour!
    Thanks for the chance 💚 💚 💚

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    1. You're very welcome. I'm glad you "stopped by"!

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  4. I'll sign off for the evening. Thank you to E.L.F. for hosting the book and for the review. And thanks to everyone who left a comment today!

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    1. Sorry, Jessie. I am juggling a little too much, evidently! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your story. I hope the tour is going well.

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  5. I don't see the link for the giveaway. Is it closed already?

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    1. My apologies, Katrina! Sometimes Blogger and I have a difference of opinion and this was obviously one of those times. It was there when I first set up the post but somehow I must have deleted it accidentally. Thank you for taking the time to visit AND to point out my mistake!

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