A Dickens of a Murder
by Joyce and Jim Lavene
A DICKENS OF A MURDER by authors Joyce and Jim Lavene, is one of their most fun and original books to date!
~Lisa K’s Book Reviews
First in a brand-new series, the popular cozy authors Joyce and Jim Lavene bring life to a small and quiet community as eccentric bibliophile Simon Canterville and business partner, long-time librarian Lisa Wellman…
~Mallory Heart Reviews
Interesting cozy mystery with a paranormal element. Well written with a good story
~MysteriesEtc
I’m hooked on this new series.
~Cozy Up With Kathy
A Dickens of A Murder is a charming whodunnit that will please the bibliophile that lives in all of us.
~Moonlight Rendezvous
A Dickens of a Murder
(Canterville Book Shop Mystery 1)
Cozy Mystery
Print Length: 208 pages
Publisher: J. Lavene (November 3, 2015)
ASIN: B015269QSI
Synopsis:
Christmas at Canterville!
Lisa Wellman and Simon Canterville are surprised to find a dead man on their roof in the midst of rushing to open the Canterville Book Shop in time for the holidays. And not just any dead man – Ebenezer Hart – the man who opposed the book shop opening in Olde Town, Portsmouth, Virginia.
What might be more surprising is when Daniel Fairhaven – Lisa’s ex – turns up at the door of the three-story Victorian house to head the police investigation. She hasn’t seen him in years but the sparks start to fly as soon as they are in the same room together.
Simon and Lisa are obviously the best suspects for the murder. Each of them had something to gain by Hart’s death. Then an attempt on Simon’s life throws that theory into a tailspin.
But the biggest surprise yet comes when the ghost of Charles Dickens turns up to help Lisa with the murder investigation – and writing the mystery novel she has been working on for years.
Without a doubt, Daniel and Dickens in Lisa’s life means trouble. And there’s still the matter of trying to get the book shop open with a killer on their heels.
About The Authors –
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.
Author Links
www.joyceandjimlavene.com
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene
Purchase Link
My thoughts: It is with a heavy heart that I write this review. By now most, if not all of you, know that Joyce passed away unexpectedly in October. I never met Joyce, except through her books. The writing world lost a bright star. I always know that when I pick up book Joyce and Jim that it’s going to be a good read. There books have always been “for me” reads. As a school librarian, I’m always reading something for school. As a blogger I’m always reading something for review. Not everything that lands on my reading stack is enjoyable. But it is a given that a Lavene book will be a great read. That’s why I always try to sign up for Their Great Escape Tours.
A Dickens of a Murder is no exception. I loved the book. It has so many of the story elements that I truly enjoy: mystery, a book store, and a struggling author who just happens to be a former librarian. It’s one of my dream worlds.
The mystery is well crafted with plenty of twists and turns, along with a complicated love interest to add a bit of spice. I enjoyed reading about Lisa’s writing and Dickens was a bit of a comic relief. I don’t know if Jim will continue this series now. The idea of a book store haunted by famous authors is a book nerd’s dream. But even if there are no further books, A Dickens of a Murder is a great stand alone read – certainly one you don’t want to miss. Please visit the tour page for a chance to win a print copy of the book.
And Jim – my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. My heartfelt thanks to you and Joyce for the many hours of enjoyable reading you gave me over the years. It will always be a treasured memory.
Check out the other blogs on the tour for more reviews.
Tour Participants
November 3 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review
November 3 – The Mysterious Ink Spot – Guest Post
November 4 – Mallory Heart Reviews – Review
November 4 – Frankie Bow Interview
November 5 – MysteriesEtc – Review
November 5 – Mythical Books – Guest Post
November 6 – Moonlight Rendezvous – Review
November 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review, Interview
November 7 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review
November 7 – Booklady’s Booknotes – Guest Post
November 8 – LibriAmoriMiei – Review
November 8 – Tea and A Book – Review
November 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review
November 9 – readalot – Review
November 10 – fuonlyknew – Review
November 10 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – Review
November 11 – Book Splurge – Review
November 11 – Christa Reads and Writes – Review
November 12 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – Review, Interview
November 12 – THE SELF-TAUGHT COOK – Review
November 13 – Back Porchervations – Review
November 13 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review
November 14 – Community Bookstop – Review
November 15 – Brooke Blogs – Review
November 16 – View from the Birdhouse – Review
November 16 – Student of Opinions – Review
Booklady's Booknotes 
Becky Prazak
November 8, 2015 at 6:55 pm
Great review. Look forward to this book.