“Monday Mystery” – CROOKED HOUSE

Marlene Bateman has another brand new Erica Coleman Mystery out, entitled CROOKED HOUSE. And I am honored and pleased to kick off its blog tour.

ACrooked House Blog BANNER with dates

Synopsis

Someone is trying to kill Liz Johnson and it’s up to quirky private investigator, Erica Coleman, to find out who. Erica is no stranger to murder and mystery, which is why her best friend’s daughter, Megan, turns to her when unaccountable and potentially fatal “accidents” threaten her roommate’s life.

Once Erica arrives at the ramshackle old mansion known as Crooked House, matters go from disturbing to deadly as it becomes clear someone is trying to kill Liz. As Erica begins to unearth secrets, she discovers a twisted web of love, money, greed, and deception. Although the police and friends sometimes find Erica’s OCD annoying, its those very traits that help her sift through evidence and see clues that others miss. Erica must draw upon her all her investigative prowess to keep Liz safe and unmask the killer before he can accomplish his deadly objective.

With a dash of romance and surprising twists, this thrilling mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. As with all Erica Coleman mysteries, ten delicious recipes are included.

A Cover for A Crooked House

Excerpt

“I’m scared.”

Erica’s heart turned over when she heard the quaver in her young friend’s voice on the phone.

Then Megan asked, “Can you come?”

“Of course.” Erica’s reply was automatic. She would do anything she could to help. Although she often received emotionally-laden phone calls in her job as a private investigator, there was a difference when the call came from the teen-aged daughter of her best friend. The very fact that Megan—who was usually so calm and composed—sounded frightened out of her wits, put Erica on high alert.

“I think someone’s trying to kill my roommate, Liz,” Megan said.

“What makes you think that?” Erica asked. “Has someone threatened her?”

“No, but Liz has had a couple of serious accidents lately—at least she says they’re accidents, but either one of them could have killed her.”

Erica made an effort to reel in her skepticism. “Tell me about them.”

“First, someone tampered with her car. The brakes went out and Liz ended up driving across someone’s yard and hitting a tree. Fortunately, she was okay. The second one happened downtown. Liz was on the sidewalk waiting for the bus when someone shoved her. She fell into the road. A truck was coming and if a guy hadn’t pulled her back, Liz could have been killed.”

Still, they could have been accidents, Erica thought, at least until the third one occurred—this time at Crooked House.

A picture of Marlene Bateman

Bio

Marlene Bateman was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan. Her hobbies include gardening, camping, reading, and enjoying her four cats and three dogs.

A Cover for Motive for MurderMarlene’s first novel was the best-selling Light on Fire Island. Her next novel was Motive for Murder—the first in a mystery series that features Erica Coleman, a quirky private eye with OCD. The next book in that line, (they do not have to be read in order) is A Death in the Family.

A Cover for A Death in the FamilyMarlene has also written a number of LDS non-fiction books under the name Marlene Bateman Sullivan. Those books include: Gaze Into Heaven; Near-death Experiences in Early Church History, which is a fascinating collection of over 50 documented near-death experiences from the lives of early latter-day Saints, Heroes of Faith, and Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines. Marlene also wrote three books about documented accounts in early LDS church history when a person either saw or heard an angel; Visit’s From Beyond the Veil, And There Were Angels Among Them, and By the Ministering of Angels.

All three mysteries in the series are available in such physical bookstores as Deseret Book and Seagull Book, as well as online at Amazon, Deseret Book, and Seagull Book.

For more information about the author, check out her website as well as my previous  interview with her.

Originally posted 2015-04-20 06:00:11.

“Monday Mystery” – TO SLEEP NO MORE

Dalton&Dalton_ARERonda Hinrichsen has a new novella out (under the pseudonym Kathleen Marks) entitled TO SLEEP NO MORE. If you look at the subtitle, you’ll note the term “preternatural mystery.” I recently interviewed Ronda and she briefly discussed that term, so if you’re puzzled, click here. But enough splitting terms. Here’s a quick glimpse of TO SLEEP NO MORE:

Synopsis

Preternatural scientist Alexandra Dalton is near Yellowstone National Park, searching for preternatural mushrooms she hopes will help her find who kidnapped and murdered her young daughter, when she receives a telegram from her uncle’s lawyer. Her beloved uncle is dead, it says, and she must return to Massachusetts ASAP. There, she is thrown together with her estranged husband, Richard Dalton, to unravel two mysterious “Night Hag” murders.

Excerpt

Alex pinched her cheeks to give them a hint of color and opened the door.

Her smile disappeared. Worse, her breath, her thoughts, and her pulse stopped. She stared into a man’s hazel eyes the color of a stormy Atlantic sea surrounded by long, thick lashes lightly tipped with the same color as his blonde, wavy hair. The man was tall, straight, and had well-defined muscles. He was a man to be reckoned with—Richard Edward Dalton, her estranged husband.

“Hello, Alex,” he said.

Alex clenched the door handle. What is he doing here? “Rick.”

He quirked a tentative smile. “Can I come in?”

“Why?”

“I’ve been invited.”

Author

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Kathleen Marks is a pen name for Ronda Hinrichsen, author of romantic suspense and speculative novels as well as the Heroes of the Highest Order chapter book series. She loves history and frequently travels throughout the world with her husband in search of intriguing settings, characters, and stories.

TO SLEEP NO MORE is available on Amazon and CreateSpace. You can also learn a bit more about the story and series on Ronda’s website AND read all of Chapter One.

Originally posted 2014-03-24 06:00:51.