Cozy Mystery Blog Tour: Author Guest Post, Review & Giveaway: Arsenic and Old Books (Cat in the Stacks #6) by Miranda James

In Athena, Mississippi, librarian Charlie Harris is known for his good nature—and for his Maine coon cat Diesel that he walks on a leash. Charlie returned to his hometown to immerse himself in books, but taking the plunge into a recent acquisition will have him in over his head…

Lucinda Beckwith Long, the mayor of Athena, has donated a set of Civil War-era diaries to the archives of Athena College. The books were recently discovered among the personal effects of an ancestor of Mrs. Long’s husband. The mayor would like Charlie to preserve and to substantiate them as a part of the Long family legacy—something that could benefit her son, Beck, as he prepares to campaign for the state senate.

Beck’s biggest rival is Jasper Singletary. His Southern roots are as deep as Beck’s, and their families have been bitter enemies since the Civil War. Jasper claims the Long clan has a history of underhanded behavior at the expense of the Singletarys. He’d like to get a look at the diaries in an attempt to expose the Long family’s past sins. Meanwhile, a history professor at the college is also determined to get her hands on the books in a last-ditch bid for tenure. But their interest suddenly turns deadly…

Now Charlie is left with a catalog of questions. The diaries seem worth killing for, and one thing is certain: Charlie will need to be careful, because the more he reads, the closer he could be coming to his final chapter. 

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It’s a Family Thing

By Miranda James

Each of the “Cat in the Stacks” novels has centered on the family in some way. The core of the books is Charlie and his family, beginning with Diesel the Maine Coon cat in the first book, and then including his son Sean, daughter Laura, and others in subsequent books. The mystery plots in each of the books also center on family in some way.

In the latest book in the series, Arsenic and Old Books, the mayor of Athena, Lucinda Beckwith Long, presents Charlie with a set of Civil War-era diaries, a donation from the Long family to the college archive. The author of the diaries was Rachel Afton Long, and the mayor tells Charlie that the contents could help decide an upcoming election. Her son “Beck” Long is contending for a state senate seat against Jasper Singletary. The Longs and the Singletarys have a long history of distrust and discord between them. The Longs have been wealthy, one of the leading families of Athena for generations, while the Singletary clan consisted of poor subsistence farmers who claim their misfortunes were caused by the Longs.

Charlie naturally wonders how diaries written a century-and-a-half ago can impact the present. He is also astonished when two different women demand immediate access to them. A history professor desperate for tenure and a reporter whose reasons are murky both try their best to get their hands on the diaries. The situation is complicated by murder, and Charlie once again finds himself in the middle of the investigation.

As a student of history myself, and one whose family roots go back to 1831 in Mississippi, I wanted to write a story in which the distant past did affect the present. The Civil War era seemed a good place to start, and I thought incorporating the diaries of an antebellum woman a good way to open that window into the past. The result of all this is Arsenic and Old Books.

What I Liked: 

*The Essence of Family

I'm mentioning this not only because it's true, but because the author also touches on it in her guest post.  This series does a tremendous job of incorporating Charlie and his family.  It's always so nice to read a series that has a group of characters that they expand on with each new book written.  If kind of feels like you're watching them grow up and mature.  Such a cool experience :)  

*Diesel

What a really cool cat :)  

*The History Lesson

One of the things that cozy authors do very well, is bring a hobby or certain subject matter in to help "theme" the books they're writing.  In this particular book, the author brings in history.  Civil War-era history at that.  It's always so fascinating to see authors do their homework when it comes to the information they put in to their writing.  And it always pays off in the depth of their storytelling ability :)  Bravo!  

Overall: 

Another great addition to this series.  The mystery was superb, the character awesome, and the writing style flawless.  I truly enjoy spending time in this world created my Miranda James and can't wait to visit again in the future.  

Rating: 4 stars

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All conclusions reached are my own.  

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Cozy Mystery Blog Tour: Author Guest Post, Review & Giveaway: Bless Her Dead Little Heart (Southern Sisters #1) by Miranda James

New York Times bestselling author Miranda James returns to Athena, Mississippi, with an all-new mystery featuring Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce Ducote, two snoopy sisters who are always ready to lend a helping hand. But when a stressed socialite brings murder right to their doorstep, even they have trouble maintaining their Southern hospitality…

With the Mississippi sun beating down, An’gel and Dickce are taking a break to cool off and pet sit their friend Charlie Harris’s cat, Diesel, when their former sorority sister, Rosabelle Sultan, shows up at their door unexpectedly, with her ne’er-do-well adult children not far behind.

Rosabelle’s selfish offspring are desperate to discover what’s in her will, and it soon becomes clear that one of them would kill to get their hands on the inheritance. Suddenly caught up in a deadly tangle of duplicitous suspects and deep-fried motives, it will take all of the sisters’ Southern charm to catch a decidedly ill-mannered killer.

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Belles of Steel
by Miranda James

Every small Southern town has them - those indomitable women who run all kinds of organizations, from garden and bridge clubs to charitable agencies.  Often they come from the town's oldest families, generation after generation of club women who oil the wheels of the social engine.  These were exactly the women I needed when I was working on Out of Circulation, the fourth book in my "Cat in the Stacks" series.  

The story revolved around fund-raising efforts for the local public library - in this case, the fictional Athena (Mississippi) Public Library.  I needed strong characters for the Friends of the Library Board of Directors, and i counted on disagreements among the members.  Has there ever been a committee when members didn't butt heads over even the most minute of details?  Perfect starting point for conflict in a murder mystery, I thought.  

In the spring of 2011 I attended the first-ever Daddy's Girls Weekend, an event put together by my friend and fellow writer, Carolyn Haines, author of the Sarah Booth Delaney series.  There I met two sisters, An'gel Ducote Molpus and Dickce Ducote Little, who inspired me to create their fictional counterparts, Miss An'gel and Miss Dickce Ducote.  

The fictional sisters are several decades older, unmarried, and childless, yet their characters owe much to their real-life inspirations.  The Ducote sisters are the true grandes dames of Athena society, intelligent, hard-working, and intolerant of pretention and snobbery.  The conflict between them and the character of Vera Cassity was an essential element of the story, and I had great fun with the scenes involving these characters. 

Not long after I finished Out of Circulation I was working on ideas for a second series, one that would feature two older women characters.  After discussion with my agent and my editor, we settled on making the Ducote sisters the main characters.  I loved them, my editor loved them, and evidently so did my readers.  Thus was the new series born.  

The first book in the "Southern Ladies" mysteries, Bless Her Dead Little Heart, is officially out on October 7th.  The Ducote sisters are on their own as amateur detectives, because Charlie Harris and his family are in France on vacation.  They do have the assistance of Diesel, the Maine Coon cat, who makes a cameo appearance in the book.  An old sorority sister, Rosabelle Sultan, turns up on the sisters' doorstep one August afternoon and claims that someone in her family is trying to murder her.  Miss An'gel and Miss Dickce know that Rosabelle loves being the center of attention, but this sounds a bit over-the-top even for this self-absorbed socialite.  When Rosabelle's family members follow her to Athena, however, the sisters quickly discover that one of them does have murder in mind.  

I had great fun writing this book, letting the sisters have their way.  I hope readers will have fun, too, getting to know Miss An'gel and Miss Dickce.  

There is nothing better than characters from the deep south.  Especially when they're An'gel and Dickce Ducote!  These women are EXACTLY what you picture when you hear southern socialite.  They are arrogant because they come from families that warrant the arrogance, but they hold that air of southern charm that only comes from these types of women.  And their generosity towards Rosabelle, their former sorority sister, speaks volumes about the all too familiar "southern hospitality" that you hear so much about.  

These two women are a hoot.  They make you laugh.  They bring to life a part of the country that you only see in movies, and their tenacity knows no bounds.  This smart mystery is fun to follow, and this is a fantastic start to a very promising, very exciting new series that I can't wait to continue!  

Rating: 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All conclusions reached are my own.  

Thanks to the awesome ladies at Penguin, I have 1 paperback copy of Bless Her Dead Little Heart by Miranda James to give away to one of my lucky readers!  Just enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win, and be sure to keep checking back for more awesome giveaways!

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