Blog Tour: Review: Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor, withExcerpt and Giveaway

Expected Publication: July 30th 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Blurb:

In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.

Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne could care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school. 

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Review

Prep School Confidential was a big surprise package for me. I wasn't expecting such a deep and twisted mystery, nor was I expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. 

I liked Anne, thought sometimes she seemed a touch too full of herself in the I'm-just-too-smart kind of way but it wasn't enough to put me off. Also her persistence to solve who killed Isabella had me wrapped up in the story so very little bothered me. 

All the characters felt so different from each other, and I didn't know who to suspect or point the finger at. There are a fair few characters in this story, but I didn't find it hard to keep track of as they all had some part in the story and mystery and their voices were different enough to remember them. 

I don't make it a hidden fact that I don't like love triangles as a writing device. Prep School Confidential did have a love triangle, and surprisingly (compared to those I have read) it is done really nicely, to the point I didn't know who I liked more. 

Anthony, Isabella's twin brother grew on me pretty quickly, though I feel he is still a little mysterious. 

Brent, Annie classmate, I wasn't sure of at first. I grew to like him as the story progressed. 

I loved the school description. I could picture this old school and all it's "secrets" (no more details than that - no spoilers) with no problems. 

Prep School Confidential had me guessing and questioning all the characters and their roles - did they do it, were they really like that - right until the end. And even that was a bit of a shock. Just when you think you figured it out, BAM, nope you didn't. 

This is definitely worth checking out if you like mysteries and whodunits. A fun read with some very memorable quotes (My favourite is below).  

★★★★ 

Really Liked It

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Excerpt

"Mr. Dowling." The officer stands up and extends a hand. "I'm Detective Holmes."

I can't help it - I giggle a little. I mean, really, a detective named Holmes? I wonder if Watson is nearby. 

Dad glares at me and accepts Holmes's handshake. "I'll be representing my daughter from this point. If you have no proof of her involvement with the fire, I'll be taking her home now."

I wince, but Detective Holmes looks confused. "With all due respect, Mr. Dowling, your daughter confessed to being on school grounds unattended after hours and gave us the name of the classmate who helped start the fire."

Dad looks at me as if I'm dumber than the bacteria on the bottom of his shoes. He's never, ever looked at me like that before. When the older cop shuffles back into the room, I'm thinking there's no way this could possibly get worse. (Loc 168 4%). 


One of my favourite quotes:

Author Bio

Kara has a BA in English/Secondary Education from Stony Brook University. She loves New Girl, sushi, and puppets that say rude things. It’s her dream to own a bakery someday. 

Kara was inspired to start writing in part by her grandmother giving her Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and in part by her father’s bizarre antics, such as blow-drying his car. Her father looked like Borat in the 80′s. 

Kara lives on Long Island with a Chihuahua named Izzy and a kitten named Felix. Her favorite authors are Gillian Flynn, Maureen Johnson, and Nelson Demille. She writes full-time, both on the PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL series and on an untitled television pilot for Warner Brothers Studios.

Author Links

www.karamtaylor.com 

twitter.com/@karataylor_

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ARC Review: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Title: If You Find Me

Author: Emily Murdoch

Series: Nil

Publication Date: March 26th, 2013

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary

Source: eARC from St Martin's Press via Netgalley

Description

There are some things you can’t leave behind…A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Review

This is hard for me to review. I was so engrossed in reading it that I didn't make any notes! 

Emily Murdoch's debut is an emotional story of child neglect, told from the view of Carey who with her sister were hiding in the woods for ten years with their mentally ill, drug using mother. 

I found the characters so real and touching, like reading a true story. I felt for Carey and Jenessa and could understand their bod and why they were concerned about going back into society. No matter how awful their life was in the woods, it was all they knew. It was home. I really felt for them and wanted them to be able to adapt and grow into their new life. 

Not too mention I adored Jenessa. ❤

There were a few elements that felt too convenient, such as Carey and Ryan's relationship, Delany's hatred of Carey switching in next to no time, and the ending. That said they weren't enough to detract from my enjoyment. 

The one thing that did frustrate me and take away some enjoyment were the flashbacks. Ok, not the actual flashbacks, just the execution of them. There was no indication of a flashback happening. One mintue Carey would be thinking about something the next second it was a flashback. I understand that the thought or what was being said was triggering the flashback, but because it blended together, I was more often then not going....

Source

Hopefully the published versions will have a new paragraph or different font for them or something.  

Overall, this was a fantastic and emotional debut novel from Emily Murdoch. If you like contemporary mystery type books then add this one to your list. 

★★★★ 
Really Liked It

Author Bio

Source

Emily is a writer, a poet, and a lover of books. There's never a time she's without a book. Her debut novel, If You Find Me, will be available from St. Martin's on March 26, 2013 and from Orion/Indigo UK on May 2, 2013.

When she's not reading or writing, you'll find her caring for her horses, dogs and family on a ranch in rural Arizona, where the desert's tranquil beauty and rich wildlife often enter into her poetry and writing. 

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Spotlight & Excerpt: The Last Keeper’s Daughter by Rebecca Trogner

The Last Keeper’s Daughter
Book 1 in The Last Keeper’s Daughter Series

Rebecca Trogner

Genre:  Paranormal Romance Mystery

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

Word Count: 86,360

Book Description  

Born into old money, Lily Ayres lives at Waverly, her family’s estate situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Paris, Virginia.  She is a strange, small, almost mute, young woman who has no idea that her father has given her to the Vampire King Krieger.  Walter Ayres is the King’s Keeper and part of a secret society of historians who unearth, preserve, and attempt to understand relics of long forgotten civilizations.

Lily has never felt comfortable in the human world, but after she suspiciously falls down a flight of stone steps, and is healed and claimed by Krieger, she realizes there is another world.  In this Other Realm she feels a sense of belonging, and begins to untwine the mysterious event which left her mentally and psychologically damaged.  When Walter disappears in England, Lily works with human and supernatural beings to uncover his whereabouts.  With each new discovery, she is pulled deeper into the vortex of magic, intrigue, and dark desires that permeates the supernatural world.  The revelations revealed unfold a story of deception and betrayal that threaten to tear the thin veil between the supernatural and human world asunder.

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Excerpt

Krieger sat in the oversized chair, letting his arms hang down almost to the floor, and inhaled deeply of her scent, now richer, more complex than it had been before. He’d never encountered anyone who smelled so enticing. Her blood beguiled him, like a flower lures the bee to its sweet nectar. He wished to sink his fangs into her soft skin, to feel the first spurt of blood hit his tongue. He groaned with anticipation. To a vampire, blood and sex were intertwined. When he’d healed her with his blood it had taken a great deal of restraint not to seek his own physical fulfillment. He was ill prepared to deal with an innocent. His fingers wrapped around the legs of the chair, and the sound of wood snapping under pressure made him release his grip.

Her eyelids fluttered. It took a few attempts before she turned her head and stared at him. He remained motionless.

“You had a bad fall at the party, remember?” He raised his hands, palms facing towards her. “You’re safe, at my home.”

Her face, already flushed, became a deep shade of red. He could hear her heart beating hard and strong. He fought the urge to taste her.

“You came for me.” Lily spoke softly. “I was afraid you wouldn’t.”

He remembered what the doctor had said, and knew the volume was not important, but that she was speaking meant a great deal.

“How do you feel?”

She took stock of her body. She raised the once injured shoulder, and then looked down, amazed.

“I healed you.”

She slid up, clutching the sheet to her neck, and rested her back against the headboard. The rose tones of the coverlet highlighted the perfection of her skin. He pondered going to sit on the bed next to her, but decided she needed to feel comfortable and safe in his presence, not hunted into a corner.

She spoke out the word, “How,” on a long breath. 

He liked how she didn’t ask ridiculous questions. She cut straight to the point.

“With my blood.”

Lily glanced into his eyes, maybe gauging the truth of his words. She nodded and looked down at her hands. He had anticipated some sort of feminine theatrics, but she showed no emotion that he could decipher.

“I don’t remember that.”

“When did you remember me?”

“On the mountain,” she said, staccato quick.

He kept his face impassive.

“I’m not–” She ran her hand over her shoulder again. “Am I?”

“Vampire,” he finished her question. “No.”

The sigh of relief made her thoughts clear. He wondered if she would be more receptive to the idea after the years had ravaged her beautiful face.

“Did Walter leave this for you?” He laid the small watercolor painting on the bed.

She nodded.

Standing up, careful to move at human speed, he motioned towards the hallway leading to the bathroom and dressing area. “Everything you need will be provided. For now, you should rest.”

Lily shook her head. “I feel fine.” She started to get up, looked down, and tightened her hold on the coverlet. 

“Clothes are in the dressing area. Do you need assistance?”

Her expression said she did not.

“Can you walk?” Krieger asked.

She nodded.

He went to the French doors and turned his back to her. “Go on. Call out if you feel weak.” Modesty was something foreign to Others. They did not feel shamed or embarrassed by nudity. He hadn’t thought about this and wished the doctor had clothed her. He heard the lock mechanism on the connecting door click into place. If it made her feel safe then what harm could it do?

Krieger heard her walk back into the room. He stayed where he was, waiting to see what she would do. When she came to stand next to him, he was pleased.

“Stoke Castle sits atop the Blue Ridge mountains. Waverly is within view below us.”

Lily stepped closer to the French doors, her hand reaching for the door knob.

“Dawn is upon us. It would be best if you refrained from going outside until I exit the room, or until the sun has set.”

Lily went completely still again, much like a rabbit will hide in tall grass.

“How long have I been asleep?” she asked.

“You’ve been unconscious for a day.” He let her take a moment to process the information. “Look at me.”

She turned, which pleased him, but did not raise her eyes to his. 

Placing his forefinger under her chin, he lifted her face upwards. “Look at me,” he said with a kind firmness. “I have lost the ability to trance you now that you carry my blood.”

“Trance?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

He ran his fingers lightly over her cheek bones and rested his hand against her face. “Your father told me that you hate to be touched, and yet you do not flinch away from me. It is good.” He bent down to place his lips next to her ear. “You have no need to fear me.”

Author Bio

Rebecca Trogner lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and frequently crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains that were the inspiration for Krieger’s home. She always dreamed of being a writer, but got sidetracked by the day-to-day adventures of life. With the encouragement of her family, she has finished her first novel and is currently writing the next book in The Last Keeper’s Daughter series. Rebecca lives with her husband and son, and a rescue dog named Giblet. To find out more about the author visit www.rebeccatrogner.com.

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Spotlight: Molly Brown by B. A. Morton

Molly Brown
Mrs Jones - Book 2

B.A. Morton

Genre: Crime/thriller/romance

Publisher: Taylor Street Books

ISBN:13 978-1481818612

ASIN:B00ARM6B7C

Number of pages: 292

Word Count: 81.000

Book Description:

A Child to save.

A Killer to catch.

Tommy Connell’s playing with the bad guys again, but this time the rules have changed...and he still hasn’t learned to play nice!

Connell’s keeping the wolf from the door, rooting out bad cops for his buddy Gerry Gesting. He’s handed in his badge, turned his back on all that, but...
When a weird little kid disappears into the night and no one gives a damn including the cops, he reckons that maybe someone should take another look.

The good cops are busy hunting down a serial killer...good.

The bad cops are busy hunting down Connell...not so good.

The serial killer, well he’s looking for victim number twelve, which is... definitely not good.
And little Molly Brown is about to throw an almighty spanner in the works.

Connell’s dabbling in things that he shouldn’t and it’s not the first time...

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Book Trailer

Excerpt

Excerpt from Molly Brown - chapter 17The tension is building and the bodies are stacking up. Connell is about to discover what happens to folk who mess with the wrong people:Crammed to one side of the roomy trunk, Gibbons’ limbs were folded awkwardly, his jacket askew. His mouth gaped open and a neat entry hole was positioned equidistant to each glazed eye. All in all, Detective Gibbons had met a messy end. Blood pooled beneath him, brain-matter adhered to the exterior of the vodka crates, obscuring the brand detailing and counterfeit shipping information. The writing on the boxes was unintelligible anyway, to anyone who wasn’t of eastern European descent and in truth contraband vodka was the least of Connell’s concerns. He knew where it had come from, had a good idea where it was destined, and short of slipping a bottle in his own back pocket for later, could see no value to the find. He slammed a hand at the lid of the trunk with frustration. It was hardly worth the trouble of Frankie loaning out his car if all Gibbons was using it for was to transport a few bottles of low end liquor. There had to be more than that. Why else would someone decide to put a gun to his head? He reached in gingerly and slid the crates aside. They moved with ease amidst the slick pool of blood, revealing something caught at the back, clutched in Gibbons outstretched hand.Damn, muttered Connell. It couldn’t be at the front where it was easy to reach, that would be too damned easy. He balanced on one foot and leaned in further. Trying very hard to avoid the mess that remained of Gibbons, he grasped a manila file similar to the one Hamilton had slammed on the desk when he’d interrogated him the previous day. Not quite as thick, but Connell doubted many would have a file as full of bullshit and half truths as his. All the same he guessed it had come from the same place. He caught hold of the corner, pulled it out from Gibbons’ death grip and flipped it open.Inside was a sheaf of paper with a mixture of type written text supplemented in the margin, by pencil scrawl. Along with the report were a number of A4 black and white photos. Obviously taken on a long lens with a shaky hand, they were grainy shots procured at various locations around the city. The only constant, being that he featured in every one. He scanned them quickly, unclear at their purpose until he picked up the last one. This photo had been taken in the alley outside the library. He was shown paused in the doorway, Molly stood before him, her hand in his, looking directly at the camera.He recalled the moment vividly. The uneasy feeling that skittered down his spine, as Molly held him back. The awareness that someone was out there and Molly had known it all along. He’d felt her anxiety, her surprising strength as she gripped his hand, but the look on her face as captured by the lens, wasn’t fearful. It was resigned, almost regretful, as if maybe she knew exactly what was to come. He allowed the file to slip from his hand and sucked in a breath. He had the same feeling now. He felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck and shrugged to dispel them.

Mrs. Jones

By B.A. Morton

Publisher: Taylor Street Publishing

Date of Publication: April 7, 2012

ISBN: 978-1468116885

ASIN: B006OEVRBM

Number of pages:256

Word Count: 88.000

Cover Artist: Bradley Wind

Book Description:

A British girl with a secret.

A New York cop with a past.

And a mob that wants revenge

In the slickest, sexiest novel to come out in a long time, ruggedly tough and honest cop Detective Tommy Connell picks up an English girl, Mrs Jones, who claims to be the witness to a murder, and falls in love with her. Well, Mrs Jones, whoever she is, must be very attractive because an awful lot of people seem to want to get their hands on her if they can get her away from Connell's determined hands, including some organized crime boys along with the Feds.

Detective Connell definitely has his work cut out for him if he wants to end up with the body of Mrs Jones, dead or alive, that's for sure. All-in-all it's probably safe to say he hasn't a clue what is going on. It is probably equally safe to guess that Mrs Jones does. Not that 'safe' is quite the right word to use here.

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Author Bio

Born in the North East of England, B.A.Morton writes crime fiction and historical fantasy all with a smidgeon of romance thrown in. After a twenty year civil service career, she and her family escaped the rat race and relocated to the remote beauty of the Northumberland National Park. She now works part time in the village GP surgery and lives in a cottage built on the remains of a medieval crypt – the inspiration for the medieval fantasy trilogy, “The Wildewood Chronicles”. She keeps chickens and dogs, enjoys country life and can be bribed with chocolate! Her debut novel “Mrs Jones” a fast paced, romantic, crime thriller set in New York, was runner up in the Yeovil Literary Prize 2011 and subsequently published by Taylor Street Publishing. The sequel, “Molly Brown” was released in December 2012.

http://bamorton.weebly.com/

http://www.taylorstreetbooks.com/ba-morton.html