Blog Tour: GINGERBREAD DEAD by Lori L. Robinett

 

Gingerbread Dead

by Lori L. Robinett

 

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GENRE: Cozy Mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

This fun cozy mystery features a “colorful display of Christmas suspense and intrigue” perfect for lovers of true crime and mysteries.

 

Jessica Barker blogs about true crime for an online magazine. Blogging for others is far from her dream job, but she's willing to pay her dues so that someday she'll have a podcast of her own.

 

Then, Jess witnesses what appears to be her next-door neighbor in distress and Jess is the only one who seems to care. When the cops dismiss her as a bothersome true crime reporter with an overactive imagination, Jess must delve into the life of her mysterious neighbors, Rory and John Regan – with hints at embezzlement and gambling – before someone ends up dead.

 

Lori L. Robinett introduces a new series about the adventures of an aspiring podcaster that will appeal to fans of true crime and cozy mysteries.

 

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Excerpt One:

 

 

The wife was still there, sitting at one end, so she appeared in profile. Jess frowned and leaned forward. The man still walked around the table. He moved slowly, as if out for a Sunday stroll, but there was something ominous about the motion. The woman sat upright in a chair, her arms dangling at her sides. Her head tipped forward, her chin nearly touching her chest, face hidden by a curtain of golden brown hair. The man loomed over her, his face flushed red, his mouth moving. The brunette raised her head and it bobbled as her mouth worked.

 

If only Jess could hear her. Frustration made Jess grip the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.

 

The woman sank slowly, slipping from her chair like the sun into the horizon, disappearing inch by inch. Her husband stood watching, as if completely unconcerned. He made no move to help his wife, but calmly sipped his red wine, then turned back to the stove as if nothing had happened. He stirred something in the pot, then lifted the spoon to his lips and tasted the concoction, nodding as if satisfied.

 

Jess stretched up, trying to glimpse the wife, but she must be on the floor. The husband turned from the stove and carried a pot to the kitchen sink. His face was completely calm and unaffected.

 

A click sounded behind Jess and the living room floor lamp snapped on. Light flooded the room. She jumped and spun around. The automatic timer. Damn! She turned back to the window and stared across the yard.

 

The Regan house was dark.

 

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Review: Jess was a stay-at-home true crime blogger. One night, she witnesses a startling and confusing scene of her new neighbors. Did the wife have a heart attack? A stroke? If so, why wasn’t the husband doing anything? Was he somehow responsible? Not one to mind her own business, she gets involved. Unfortunately, the cops don’t believe there was a crime. But Jess just knew something was going on.

Most of the time, Jess was just spying on these neighbors, noting every little movement. There was certainly something odd about the lopsided woman with slurred speech. It definitely piques your curiosity here. What if the wife was getting abused by the husband? Can Jess figure this out before anything else happened to the wife?

I liked this story. Jess was a ballsy, brazen, and clever broad. Unlike most cozy mysteries, which traditionally has a murder to solve, this one was all about preventing a murder. Jess asks a lot of questions to try to figure things out. There were some areas that were slow and unamusing, and it was a shame that nobody died. But, overall, this was a nice read.

 

Rating: 4 stars

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Lori L. Robinet is a paralegal by day, writer by night. She’s the author of several books, including mysteries, thrillers, and contemporary western romance. She also offers online writing courses through WriteScouts (her signature course is Blank to 50K). Lori and her husband of 25+ years live on a hobby farm in central Missouri maintained for the comfort and enjoyment of their Beagle and Snorkie and two rescue calico cats. When not writing (or reading), you can find Lori crafting or indulging in her TV addiction. Her favorite authors are Stephen King, Tierney James, Carolyn Paul Branch, Micki Browning (and soooo many others!).

 

Social Media links:

http://lorilrobinett.com

https://www.facebook.com/LoriLRobinettauthor

https://twitter.com/LoriRobinett

https://www.tiktok.com/@writer1701

 

Buy link:

https://mybook.to/W56QdQy

 

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GIVEAWAY

 

Lori L. Robinett will be awarding $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway