Friday, February 7, 2020

The Heartless and A #Giveaway



Author David Putnam has a new book out and his partner-in-crime and wife, Mary, has been making drinks to celebrate. The book is called, The Heartless, and we're giving away FIVE copies of the book to the first five people who comment (US residents only). Let's see what Mary has been cooking up to celebrate David's book...


David often gets questions about his main character, Bruno Johnson. As the series began to unfold, I too, asked questions about a character who appeared in, THE DISPOSABLES. His name is Junior, and is the inspiration for this drink.

But before we get to Junior, a note about the name, “Bruno Johnson.”  Bruno's an amalgamation of several people David worked with in real life, combined with some elements from his imagination. The name was taken directly from a male but he was a dog, a scrappy wired-haired terrier that belonged to David's childhood friend, Bill.

Earlier this year, our two rescue dogs were joined by a puppy a friend gave us. All the dogs we’ve had in our 25 years together came with names from previous owners or shelters, so our “rookie pup” -- a Queensland heeler -- was the first dog we’ve ever named. A tough (and scrappy) lovable little guy who reminded us of Bruno in the book. So now that name has come full circle.

Meanwhile, the big dog in David’s first Bruno book, named Junior, went missing in the story for awhile. I kept pestering David (so did some other fans): “What ever happened to Junior?” Dave finally gives us some answers. In the new book, THE HEARTLESS (release date: Feb 2020), we learn how Junior originally came into their lives and how he got the name “Junior” – short for Junior Mint. 

Cheers!

And if you want a boffo glass to serve it in, check out these super easy instructions to make fabulous bullet hole drink ware. And of course Mary made that too! 





Here's the recipe for the drink...

The Junior Mint

Ingredients (for one 1.5 oz shot)
1/2 oz. Irish Cream
1/2 oz. Frangelico
1/2 oz. Peppermint Schnapps 
Optional: Whipped Cream, Chocolate sauce, Junior Mints!

Chill glass, decorate with chocolate sauce. Mix booze, top w/whip cream (regular or chocolate) and a junior mint!


 Don't forget to comment below because the first five people to comment will win a book from David. We'll need your email address as well so we can get your address. 

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Review: The Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams



Today Kerry Hammond is throwing caution to the wind and jumping into book three in a new-to-her series.

The Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams was published on January 28, in Hardcover, by Kensington Books. It is the 3rd book in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society series. I had never heard of this series, but am always drawn in by a good premise. A book store owner who has a great group of female friends to help her solve a murder was right up my alley. I decided to throw caution to the wind and jump in at book three.

In the book, our protagonist, Nora Pennington, finds herself knee deep in tourists at her bookshop. The town is experiencing torrential rains and shoppers are looking for respite, not only in the stacks, but in her cafĂ©. One afternoon, she heads to the local flea market to replenish her store’s stock of knickknacks and ends up buying a beautiful bowl from a local man named Danny, a Cherokee potter. The day after Nora buys the bowl, she discovers Danny’s body floating in the river. Nora enlists the help of her friends in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to not only try and make sense of Danny’s death, but to figure out who killed him and why.

I could tell that there was more to the backstories of each of the characters, information that was presumably given in books one and two. However, I was still able to enjoy the mystery and didn’t feel like I needed to stop where I was to go back and read the earlier installments. The author gave me just enough information to allow me to follow along and enjoy the story as is.

I consider the book a cozy mystery, but Nora’s character isn’t light and fluffy. She’s been through some things in her life that she is still working out. She’s bonded with her group of friends and shared part of her secret with them, but there still seems to be more that she’s holding back. I think this character will grow a lot as the series progresses. I really enjoyed spending time with the Secret, Book, and Scone Society.

This book was provided to Mystery Playground by the publisher. The review was fair and completely independent.

You can always find Mystery Playground on Twitter @mysteryplaygrnd and on Facebook. You can also follow the blog by clicking the link on the upper right-hand corner of this webpage.