Cover Reveal AND Reading Round-Up

First things first. Yesterday my newsletter subscribers got the first look at the cover of my next book, Cape Menace: A Cape May Historical Mystery, and now it’s time to share it here! This is the first book in my new Cape May Historical Mystery Collection, a collection of standalone mysteries set throughout the history of Cape May, New Jersey.

Here’s the blurb of the new book, which will be available for pre-order soon (don’t worry—I’ll get all the details to you!):

The year is 1714. Two years have passed since Ruth Hanover vanished into the wilderness of the New Jersey colony without a trace, leaving behind her husband, William, and their daughter, Sarah. Though William and Sarah have never stopped hoping that Ruth will return, as time goes by it becomes less and less likely they will ever see her again.

Now William is acting strangely. He won’t tell Sarah why he’s conducting business with a mysterious stranger in the middle of the night, he won’t explain the sudden increase in his income, and he won’t share with her what people in town are saying about her mother’s disappearance.

When the time comes for Sarah to face her father’s secrets and figure out why her mother never came home that December day in 1712, what she learns will shock her tiny community on the New Jersey cape and leave her fighting for her life.

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And here’s the cover!

I hope you love it as much as I do.

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And now it’s time for the Reading Round-Up. I never did post at the end of March, so this month I’ll share some of the reads I really enjoyed over the past 60 days. I thought I’d get more reading done because of the quarantine, but I was wrong. My reading schedule hasn’t changed much—this is actually good, since it means I’m sticking to my routine. Reading is always a part of my day, but so are a lot of other things, and that hasn’t changed.

Every book in this round-up gets 5 stars from me, and I will not share the only book I didn’t like.

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First up, No One Will Find Me by Marja McGraw. I loved this book, as I have loved all the other books in the Sandi Webster series. Set in the desert of the American southwest, this mystery follows Sandi, her husband, their friends Stanley and Felicity, and Sandi’s parents as they search for a serial killer who’s gotten away with murder for many years. Read my review here.

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Sprinkle with Murder, book 1 in the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries by Jenn McKinlay, was a fun cozy read that introduced readers to Mel and Angie, co-owners of the new Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery. Mel is accused of murdering the nightmare fiancee of one of her best friends, and the story unfolds delightfully from there. Read my review here.

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If you like thrillers, do yourself a favor and read this book. Ann Cleeves has done a fabulous job of putting the reader smack into the action of Raven Black, a whodunit that takes place on a remote Scottish island. Read my review here.

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This is the second book I’ve read by Bibiana Krall, and it was a superb and spellbinding tale of legend, paranormal suspense, and Irish folklore. I love the way Krall uses language to bring urgency and horror to Loftus Hall, Book 2 in the Irish Phantom series. Read my review here.

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Poison Branches is the first in the Perri Seamore series of genealogical mysteries by author Cynthia Raleigh. Main character Perri Seamore is off on a girls’ weekend and she’s combined it with a research trip to Kentucky to find information about her ancestors. When a murder takes place in the small town where Perri is staying, she is drawn into the investigation because the police need her expertise in ancestry research to find the murderer. Read my review here.

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I have read several of Sally’s books, and they’re always a treat. She has shown time and again, both in books and on her blog, that her writing skills go way beyond one genre or one kind of poetry. Life’s Rich Tapestry is a celebration of writing, of inspiration, of human nature, and of the natural world. But there’s so much more, and you’ll have to read it to fully appreciate Sally’s talents and wisdom. Read my review here.

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Every time I read a book of psychological suspense, I love the genre more. And The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides was no exception. If you’re looking for something that you can read quickly (because you’ll have no choice—you can’t stop turning pages), check out this novel. Read my review here.

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Please remember to review the books you read! Reviews are important for authors and we appreciate every single one.

Until next time,

Amy

35 thoughts on “Cover Reveal AND Reading Round-Up”

  1. Hi Amy. The new cover is exceptional. Very nice. Who did you use to create it? I’ll need a good artist soon for #3 in the Hanna Braver series. Hope you and the fam are well. Stay separated. 😉 -DB

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    1. Hi, DB. Thank you! My cover designer is Lance Buckley (https://www.lancebuckley.com/). I gave him some rough ideas about the theme I wanted to project, told him a little about the story, and he took it from there. He was fantastic to work with.

      We’re all healthy, though the kids are not loving this situation. Hope you and your family are well, too!

      🙂

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  2. I love the cover, Amy it oozes mystery and suspense. This lockdown hasn’t been all bad as it has given many time to reflect and take stock, learn new skills..I truly hope the way forward reflects that.. Some great books reviews as well Amy.. Be well and stay safe x

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    1. Thank you, Carol. I have the same hope for our time during and after the pandemic. I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned, if we only pay attention. I hope you and your family are doing well and getting lots of cooking done! We made lemon curd and lemon squares last night (can you guess what ingredient we had a lot of??)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I think I can, Amy…I love lemons…I will be cooking and planning what to do as my Thai family left us a huge box of beautiful mangoes and another huge box with 7 big hands of green bananas…Today it was mango smoothies all round tomorrow I will be making Mango Jam, Mango puree, drying some mango in the sun some more mango smoothies, green banana koftas and bread…although I may save the koftas and bread for Friday depending on how I get on with the mangoes…I am sure you can guess what we have a lot of…but all good here. I hope you are keeping well, Amy… x

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  3. I’m a fan of your cover, Amy. It exudes a mysterious and eerie vibe—something I’m sure you were going for.

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  4. The cover for your next book looks awesome!! You’ve read some great books too. I’ve actually been reading more since we are not going out for coffee and walks on the beach. I’ve managed to read a few longer classics that I’ve been wanting to read for a long time. There are good things about this lockdown.

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