My Musing ~ Wedding Bel Blues by Maggie McConnon

Wedding Bel Blues by Maggie McConnon is the first book in the NEW “Belfast McGrath” mystery series. Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks, May 2016

Are they tying the knot?
Belfast McGrath has spent the last fifteen years avoiding her big, bustling, brash Irish family. But when her five-star culinary career goes up in flames, she retreats to Foster’s Landing—where she’s immediately tapped as her cousin Caleigh’s maid-of-honor. It’s a perfect recipe for disaster. . .especially when Bel learns that the wedding preparations included Caleigh having one last one-night stand.

Or the noose?
When Caleigh’s lover plunges from the second-floor balcony during the reception, Bel can’t help but think his death was no accident. Soon Detective Kevin Hanson, who just happens to be Bel’s long-ago love, arrives on the scene—looking hotter than ever. Heartbreak and homicide hardly help Bel to feel more at home, but if she is going to make a new beginning for herself, including putting the past behind her, she must first steer clear of a cold-hearted killer.

This well-written drama features the dysfunctional McGrath family, who as Bel states is “her insane family.” A witness to murder on her cousin’s wedding bears some unexpected events that take this story on a tour de force of suspense and intrigue with an urgency on Bel’s part to understand what is everyone hiding. And boy when that can of worms is opened, it’s the journey in this story that unfolds with some surprising twists and turns that had me devouring everything. I love how the author set-up this story with enough panache to keep you powering on as one by one we are introduced to the characters that will play pivotal roles throughout this narrative. Everyone is a suspect and the clues dished kept me following the leads until there were only person who could have done the deed. I did like the many subplots that enhanced the telling of this tale, beckoning between the past and the present and that final scene at the end, I so want to read the next book. Boasting an eclectically eccentric cast of characters, engaging dialogue and a feel-good atmosphere, this was a very enjoyable and terrific read and I look forward to explore more with the McGrath family.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) book from the author

My Musing ~ Lie in Plain Sight by Maggie Barbieri

Lie in Plain Sight by Maggie Barbieri is the third book in the “Maeve Conlon” thriller series. Publisher: Minotaur Books, March 2016.

It’s a busy day at the bakery Maeve Conlon owns when she receives a phone call from the high school saying Maeve’s employee’s daughter, Taylor Dvorak, is ill. Taylor’s mom is out on a delivery and Taylor has her own car, so harried Maeve gives the school nurse permission to send Taylor home on her own. But Taylor never makes it: Somewhere between the school and her house, she just vanishes.

Not only does Maeve feel responsible, but she can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to Taylor’s disappearance than meets the eye. So Maeve decides to take matters into her own capable hands. She finds that Farringville has a lot more to hide than most small towns, from the secretive high school girls’ soccer coach to Taylor’s estranged father and her troubled mother, and she gets to work shining a light on all these mysteries.

Balancing this dark undertaking and her relationship with a local policeman, Maeve will have to walk the fine line between justice and revenge carefully if she hopes to prevail in the next suspenseful novel from Maggie Barbieri.

Secrets! Left hidden can open up a can of worms which threatens the life of those it touches. When a child is missing, feeling the cops are not doing enough, Maeve does it again and what’s left untold created a riveting and captivating drama that I could not put down. The author did a great job in setting this well-written and executed plot where anything that could happen, happens with enough intrigue and suspense that had me quickly turning each page and devouring the content as I had to know how this was going to all end and boy was I surprised with the twists and turns that this drama took in the telling of this tale. The emotional toll of the heroine is a major factor in the flow and pacing in this narrative and I felt it as well as the story moved to a conclusion worthy of the characters portrayed in this series. This is a grippingly engaging read and I’m glad that I got a chance to know and understand Maeve Conlon.

My Musing ~ Lies That Bind by Maggie Barbieri

Lies That Bind by Maggie Barbieri is the second book in the “Maeve Conlon” mystery series. Publisher: Minotaur, February 2015

In the acclaimed Once Upon a Lie, Maggie Barbieri introduced Maeve Conlon, a single mother and bakery owner hiding dark secrets behind her cookie-cutter suburban life.

Now, Maeve’s moving on with everyday life when the unthinkable happens: her father dies of a massive heart attack. Maeve’s mother died when Maeve was very young, and growing up, it was always just her and her father. But on the day of his funeral, Maeve learns a shocking secret. She might have a sister she’s never met. Maeve knows her father would never have kept something like that from her…Unless he thought he had to.

Meantime, someone keeps sneaking around Maeve’s bakery. At first the signs are subtle, but then it becomes vandalism, and then it grows even more frightening. Could it be related to Maeve’s search for her missing sister? Maeve soon decides it’s time to take matters into her own capable hands. But administering her personal brand of justice is a dangerous undertaking, and between the ever-watchful eyes of her family and the lingering attention she’s attracted from local police, Maeve will be forced to decide just how much she’s willing to risk in the name of justice.

This fast-paced drama that took a stronghold on my reading time was filled with angst and an emotional journey that captured the heart and soul of our heroine who through the telling of this treatise became a bad-ass kicking mama who knows what she has to do when it comes to seeking out and protecting her own. The author did a brilliant job in keeping the pace suspenseful and yet trickled with humor. The closer I got to the end of this story, the faster my heart pumped because I knew a climax was coming but had to wait to see how it would be played out and bravo to the author for pulling this all together in this gripping tale that left me wanting more. A superb cast of characters that included Maeve, Jo who supplied the humor, Cal the ex-husband, Heather and Rebecca, her children, and Chris who I hope we get to see more of in the next book in this fantastic series.

A Day in the Life of Maeve Conlon by Maggie Barbieri

So, where did we leave off? Let’s start with the fact that I thought I was the only one with secrets. Turns out we all have secrets – me, Poole, even my kids – but the biggest secret-keeper of all was my dearly departed father.

I miss him terribly; I do. We were living on borrowed time anyway, and that’s what I need to tell myself. His mind was going and after the accident last year, his body was following but he was strong –the “strongest man alive” as he used to tell me – and it wasn’t long before everything just gave up. He gave up first. His body followed soon after. I never knew how much he really knew about me, his most perfect girl, but he loved me until the end, enough so that he never told me about her, my sister, Evelyn Conlon, gone for many years.

I know about her now, though; that’s what I keep telling myself. But who she is, and where she’s been, are two mysteries that I have to solve. Sometimes I feel like I have no one even though I’m surrounded by people who need me. It would be nice to have her, to have Evelyn, but the more I’m learning about who she is and why I don’t know her, the more I’m wondering if I am in too deep. But why should now be any different from before? I’m always in too deep, over my head. Maybe that’s where I like to be. Maybe that’s what makes me feel alive after feeling dead inside for so many years.

One thing I know for sure: I know that if I find her, I’ll love her.

The question is: will she love me?

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You can read more about Maeve in Lies That Bind, the second book in the “Maeve Conlon” thriller series, published by Minotaur. The first book in the series is Once Upon A Lie.

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 p.m. eastern on February 24 for the chance to win a copy of Lies that Bind. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be notified within 48 hours after giveaway closes and you will have three days to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your SPAM folder.

About the author
Maggie Barbieri is the author of the Murder 101 series, starring college professor and amateur sleuth Alison Bergeron and the more recent Maeve Conlon series, the second of which, LIES THAT BIND, publishes February 17. Maggie is a freelance textbook editor by day and lives in the Hudson Valley. Visit Maggie at her website, on Facebook or on Twitter.

A Day in the Life of Maeve Conlon by Maggie Barbieri

Who is Maeve Conlon? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself all my life. Dutiful daughter–obedient to a fault, really–loyal friend, good mother (I think). True blue. Baker, mother, ex-wife.

A secret keeper.

We all have secrets. Some of us are just better than others at keeping them. Me? I will go to my grave with the secrets I have kept. If I didn’t have my secrets, I would likely be an empty husk, someone who would blow away in the wind. They are heavy but they are mine. I keep them close.

People look at someone like me, someone for whom flour and sugar and spice are always in the air around her, and think “she’s gentle. She’s kind.” I am gentle and kind but sometimes, dark thoughts enter and I push them down, to be held in check by the secrets.

Daughter.

Baker.

Mother.

Ex-wife.

All describe me to a tee. That’s what the outside observer sees. But there’s more. Always more to everyone, every person we meet. Think about what you keep close and how the face you put forth really doesn’t tell the whole story. What would we be surprised to learn about you, if you were completely honest?

Part of the fun is finding out.

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GIVEAWAY: Comment on this post by noon EST on December 13, and you will be entered to win a copy of Once Upon A Lie. One winner will be chosen at random. Unless specified, U.S. entries only.

Meet the author
Maggie Barbieri is the author of the Murder 101 series and the first in the Maeve Conlon series, ONCE UPON A LIE, published by Minotaur. Publisher’s Weekly says, “Barbieri skillfully avoids tipping her hand until the last possible moment, leaving readers both breathless and unnerved by the novel’s conclusion.”

Maggie lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, two children, needy dog and giant cat. Visit Maggie at her website, on Facebook or on Twitter.

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Once Upon A Lie by Maggie Barbieri

Once Upon A Lie by Maggie Barbieri. Publisher: Minotaur Books, December 2013

Maeve Conlon’s life is coming apart at the seams. Her bakery is barely making ends meet, and one of her daughters spends as much time grounded as the other does studying. Her ex-husband has a new wife, a new baby, and a look of pity for Maeve that’s absolutely infuriating. Her father insists he’s still independent, but he’s slowly and obviously succumbing to Alzheimer’s. And now, her cousin Sean Donovan has been found dead, sitting in his car in a public park, shot through the head.

There was never much love lost between Maeve and Sean and she’s not exactly devastated by his death, but suddenly the police are poking around asking the family questions. It’s just one more hassle Maeve doesn’t have time for, until she realizes that her father, whose memory and judgment are unreliable at best, is a suspect in the murder. Maeve is determined to clear his name, but is she prepared to cope with the dark memories and long-hidden secrets that doing so might dredge up?

WOW! When her cousin is found shot to death, Maeve doesn’t feel any emotions, that is, until the cops start looking at her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. To prove her father’s innocence, Maeve will have to lean on the past to clear his name.

This book gently pulls you in and then bam, you are in for the thrilling ride as suspense and intrigue plays throughout this riveting tale of family and secrets yet to be disclosed. This is a brilliantly-told, action-filled drama that I could not put down. Maeve is a strong, yet vulnerable heroine whose sense of justice stems from her heart. The urgency in protecting her family is evident as each chapter led into a new discovery that had me emotionally vested. The author takes you on a journey of revenge, betrayal, loss and understanding that culminates in a conclusion that befits this gripping tale. I hope we get to read more thrillers from this talented author.

FTC Disclosure – The author sent me this book, in hopes I would review it.

Extra Credit by Maggie Barbieri

Extra Credit by Maggie Barbieri is the seventh book in the “Murder 101″ mystery series. Publisher: Minotaur, December 2012

Alison Bergeron has her doubts about hosting a birthday party for her twin stepdaughters, seeing as it’ll include all of her new husband’s ex-in-laws. Still, she’s a good sport, and everyone has a great time, especially the girls, who receive $10,000 from their estranged uncle, Chick.

The girls’ father, NYPD Detective Bobby Crawford, and Christine, his ex, think the gift is too much. When Crawford swings by Chick’s apartment to return it, he finds Chick dead, with roughly $250,000 stuffed in his mattress. The death is ruled a suicide, but Christine isn’t convinced, and even Alison can’t help but admit that there must be a lot more to Chick’s death than meets the eye.

Extra Credit, the latest in Maggie Barbieri’s stellar Murder 101 series, finds Alison and Bobby delving into family secrets they’d both rather leave untouched.

I really love this series and in particular this latest book in which Alison’s stepdaughter’s birthday party puts her in the middle of her husband’s ex-wife family drama when her long lost brother returns and later is found dead with oodles of money stashed under a mattress. A great book embroils you in the words on the page and that is what Maggie Barbieri does in this engaging romp as Alison becomes involved in yet another upside down world of amateur sleuthing. The action begins immediately and doesn’t let up until the end, in this fast-paced drama that kept me riveted to the pages, as I had to know what happens next and how our illustrious heroine gets out of the situations she seems to find herself caught up in. It’s always a great time well spent with this lovable cast of characters in this delightfully well-written series.

What I’m Reading: Extra Credit by Maggie Barbieri

Today I’m reading Extra Credit by Maggie Barbieri, the seventh book in the “Murder 101” mystery series.

Alison Bergeron has her doubts about hosting a birthday party for her twin stepdaughters, seeing as it’ll include all of her new husband’s ex-in-laws. Still, she’s a good sport, and everyone has a great time, especially the girls, who receive $10,000 from their estranged uncle, Chick.

The girls’ father, NYPD Detective Bobby Crawford, and Christine, his ex, think the gift is too much. When Crawford swings by Chick’s apartment to return it, he finds Chick dead, with roughly $250,000 stuffed in his mattress. The death is ruled a suicide, but Christine isn’t convinced, and even Alison can’t help but admit that there must be a lot more to Chick’s death than meets the eye.

Extra Credit, the latest in Maggie Barbieri’s stellar Murder 101 series, finds Alison and Bobby delving into family secrets they’d both rather leave untouched.

Alison Bergeron’s Little Secret by Maggie Barbieri

I try to stay out of trouble.

Really, I do.

But trouble seems to find me and I can’t say that that upsets me too much.

After all, what college professor gets to teach a bunch of bored teenagers while solving murders that stump the police department? Not many, I tell you. But that seems to be my lot in life, much to the dismay of my partner-in-life, Bobby Crawford, detective extraordinaire and all-around good guy.

Even when I’m trying to mind my own business—like this last time—I get sucked in. Crawford’s ex-wife has come back to town after an extended stay in London and she’s decided to reconnect with her band of ruffian brothers, one of whom thought it was a good idea to give Crawford’s twin daughters a huge sum of money for their birthday. Suffice it to say that we didn’t think it was such a great idea and decided—with their mother’s blessing—to return it to him. Little did we know that a trip to his tenement apartment would lead us to our next mysterious adventure, one that started with us finding him barely alive and ended up with me consorting with strippers, Crawford’s ex-wife and her husband, and a new student who desperately wanted to tell the story of her own husband’s murder.

I really try to stay out of trouble.

Really, I do.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, though: I like it when trouble finds me.

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You can read more about Alison in Extra Credit, the seventh book in the “Murder 101” mystery series. The first book in the series is Murder 101.

Meet the author
Maggie Barbieri is the daughter of a retired New York City police officer and a life-long Nancy Drew fan, so mystery writing has been in her blood since she was a child. Maggie is currently a freelance writer and textbook editor in addition to being the author of the Murder 101 series (St. Martin’s/Minotaur), which features college professor Alison Bergeron and her New York City Detective boyfriend, Bobby Crawford.

Extra Credit, the seventh installment in the series, will be published in December of 2012. She is currently working on the eighth installment in the series; PASS/FAIL December 2013. Maggie is also starting a new series featuring soccer mom Maeve Conlon, a woman with a lot to give and a lot of lose. Maggie lives in Westchester County, New York, with her husband, two children, a very emotionally needy, but lovable, West Highland Terrier, and an equally needy and lovable twenty-five pound Maine Coon cat.

Visit Maggie at http://maggiebarbieri.com or on Facebook.

Books are available at retail and online booksellers.