The Sign of the Calico Quartz

GIVEAWAY

DREXLER, JAN

THE SIGN OF THE CALICO QUARTZ

Emma Blackwood's favorite pastime is solving literary murder mysteries...until the body in her living room makes everything a little too real.

When Emma comes to the Black Hills to work at her Aunt Rose's B&B, the Sweetbriar Inn, she is hoping for a quiet break from the corporate treadmill. But she hadn't expected murder and intrigue to mar this peaceful setting.

As she wades through too many clues to identify the murderer, she soon finds that the culprit isn't stopping at only one homicide and may even have placed Emma herself on the list of targets. With the help of her friend Becky, and a deputy sheriff who grudgingly lets them join in on the investigation, Emma tracks down the killer. But will it be in time to save the next victim?

My Review:

Eeeepppp!!!!

Just...

Eeeeeeeppppp!!!

I stumbled across this book on some social media site...Instagram maybe?...and did a double take because I am familiar with Jan Drexler's historical Amish fiction as well as her Love Inspired Historical novels...but a cozy mystery??? I was more than intrigued and rushed to order it and then rushed to read it the second it hit my doorstep. And I'm all kinds of giddy-tizzy over the Sweetbriar Inn Mysteries series.

First, do you see that corgi on the cover? That's Thatcher and he's the author's very own canine companion. I'd already met Thatcher through social media posts from puppyhood to adulthood and now he's the canine hero in his very own mystery. Give the pup a deputy's badge! (Okay, so maybe it's really Emma's mystery, but Thatcher plays a pivotal role.)

And the setting, the Black Hills of South Dakota is near and dear to the author's heart as well and that's conveyed in her descriptions. If you like to armchair travel along with your armchair sleuthing, this is definitely the cozy for you.

Love the way the series is set up in this first book, with a possible romance, a surprising backstory for one of the secondary characters, and the hint at some trauma in Emma's own past. All will hopefully be expanded upon in future books 'cause I'm all kinds of curious.

A solid mystery with plenty of plausible subjects and some subtle and not-so-subtle clues kept me on the edge of my seat trying to pieces it all together. I picked up on a significant one way before Emma did (patting myself on the back and preening modestly.)

A stellar cozy mystery debut and the second book is supposed to come out at the end of the summer which is very soon! Yeehaw!

Goal Update: #1 Read more indie authors, #7 Start a new-to-me series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  The Sign of the Calico Quartz leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 13 2022 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck