Review & Giveaway: Murder at Morningside by Sandra Bretting

Murder at Morningside

by Sandra Bretting

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GENRE: Cozy Mystery

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BLURB:

Heads turn when milliner Missy Dubois waltzes into town to set up shop on the Great River Road in Louisiana. Heaven only knows the brides who get married in the grand old mansions there could use a bit of help.

But then Missy discovers a murder among the magnolias, and even the worst “bridezilla” seems suddenly tame. 

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My Review:

This cozy mystery is really fascinating and funny, full of humor with whimsical and colorful characters and a charming setting.

  Missy has just opened a shop that sells and manufactures wedding veils. Her neighbor store and friend is Ambrose, a designer of wedding dresses. They are both invited to Morningside Plantation for a wedding weekend. When the bride is killed, Missy helps in the investigation the detective Lance, her old childhood friend.

Missy and Ambrose are a formidable team both at work and in life. I really enjoyed reading their dialogues and see them in action to try to solve the mystery. I loved the atmosphere in this beautiful plantation that gives off all the Southern charm, makes you really want to visit.

Great debut for this series, I can not wait to find out how to evolve the relationship between Missy and Ambrose.

It was a really enjoyable read, with an intriguing and interesting plot, good pace and some twists.

Highly recommended for those who love mystery, South and its plantation. It would be perfect to take on vacation for a book to read in the mountains or on the beach.

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EXCERPT:

Time rewound with each footfall as I began to climb the grand outer staircase at Morningside Plantation. The limestone steps, burdened with the history of five generations, heaved their way toward heaven.

At the top lay a wide-plank verandah supported by columns painted pure white, like the clouds. By the time I took a third step, the digital camera in my right hand began to dissolve into the sterling silver handle of a ladies parasol. The visitors’ guide in my left hand magically transformed into a ballroom dance card bound by a satin cord.

Another step and the Mississippi River came into view as it flowed to the Gulf, languid as a waltz and the color of sweet tea. Could that be a whistle from a steamboat ferrying passengers past the plantation? If so, a turn and a wave wouldn’t be out of the question once I reached the top of the stairs, and good manners would dictate it.

I was about to do that when I realized the whistle was only my friend’s cell and not a Mississippi riverboat. “Ambrose! Turn that thing off. Honestly.”

“Sorry.” He shrugged. “I always forget you were Scarlett O’Hara in a past life.”

The mood was broken, though, and the sterling silver in my hand returned to plastic while the linen dance card hardened to a glossy brochure.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sandra Bretting works as a freelance feature writer under contract to the Houston Chronicle. She received a journalism degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and wrote for other publications (including the Los Angeles Times and Orange Coast Magazine) before moving to Texas.

Her Missy DuBois Mysteries series debuts from Kensington/Lyrical Underground in May 2016. Bretting’s previous mysteries include Unholy Lies (2012) and Bless the Dying (2014). Readers can reach her online at www.sandrabretting.com and through Facebook at www.facebook.com/sandra.bretting.

S. Bretting Interview 

When did you first start writing?

I’ve always loved books, and I had a knack for writing essays and school reports when I was young. By the time I left for college, I’d decided to be a journalist, and I moved across the country to attend the University of Missouri School of Journalism. It was there I fell in love with creative writing, and I decided to write both fiction and nonfiction.

My first short story was published in a literary journal in 2000, and my first book debuted in 2012.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Probably making the characters believable. You really have to get inside their skins to know how they’d react to other people. The trick is to juggle a lot of personalities.

 

What authors have influenced your writing and life?

My mother came from Holland, and she collected books by famous American writers to help her learn English. So I read everything from Jack London to Ernest Hemingway. Both of those writers influenced me, but in different ways. London taught me how to write vividly, and Hemingway showed me what a perfect sentence should look like. 

What else do you enjoy doing, when you're not writing?

I love to travel. My family and I took an epic trip to Europe this summer and traveled through Scandinavia and the Mediterranean. I also do yoga, but I cheat and plot out scenes when I’m supposed to be meditating.

What are your dreams and plans for your future as a writer?

I’d love to write more books in the Missy DuBois Mystery Series, because I have so much fun with Missy and her friends. Once the series ends, we’ll see. I know I want to teach young writers at some point, because so many people helped me along the way.

Thank you for having me here today. It’s been fun!

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Sandra Bretting will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway