Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Three Sisters/Showstoppers Blog Tour+Giveaway

Tour Schedule
Ebook giveaway at the bottome :)

Three Sisters and Showstoppers by Helen Smith

Three Sisters and Showstoppers are two novella-length stories in the Emily Castles mystery series. The first full-length novel, Invitation to Die, will be published by Thomas & Mercer in October 2013.

The Emily Castles mystery series is set in present-day London. It features twenty-six-year-old Londoner Emily Castles and her neighbor, eccentric philosophy professor Dr. Muriel Crowther.


3 Stars

In Three Sisters, Emily goes to a party in a big house at the end of her street. She's sure she witnesses a murder, but no one will believe her. She teams up with Dr. Muriel to investigate.

My thoughts: This was a very quick, entertaining read. We come to meet Emily who had recently lost her dog Jessie and was trying to cope with the loss. She accepted a Halloween party invitation where she ended up finding herself in the middle of a murder mystery.

I enjoyed the descriptions that were used for the characters and the surroundings. I was able to picture most of the scenes easily in my head. I could also picture Emily;  she was quirky. I do have to admit though that there were many details that it sometimes made it hard to follow and I felt confused some of the times. But, this novella gives a good indicator where Helen Smith is going with her writing.

 
3.5 Stars

In Showstoppers, Emily helps out at a local stage school run by her neighbor, Victoria. Soon she's mixed up in a blackmail plot and two deaths. Emily and Dr. Muriel team up to prevent further a massacre live on stage during the end of term show.

My thoughts: Another great quick read. This was more clear than the first novella. This book made me question what Emily's profession really was since it seemed that people really depended on her to solve crimes. I liked reading about her trying to solve the blackmail over at the dance school.

I also enjoyed reading about Victoria's character. I giggled everytime she mentioned that she never spoke to anyone about her "secret." Her character made me wish that this novella were longer.








Praise for the Emily Castles Mystery Series

Fast-paced, funny, and mysterious... Helen Smith is a master story-teller.
~Socrates Book Reviews

It grips you from the very beginning.
~Babs Books Bistro

Bright, colorful and full of surprises.
~Amazon Vine Reviewer

Fast-paced and unusual, I highly recommend this one.
~Eva’s Sanctuary


Praise for Helen Smith

Smith is gin-and-tonic funny.
~The Booklist


Purchase




Author Helen Smith

Helen Smith is a novelist and playwright who lives in London. She's the author of bestselling cult novels Alison Wonderland, Being Light and The Miracle Inspector as well as the Emily Castles Mystery Series.







Tour Giveaway
10 winners will each receive a Kindle Ebook copy of Showstoppers & Three Sisiters
Ends 2/28/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

  1. Vonnie, thanks for your lovely reviews for my books. I appreciate it.

    Thanks for hosting the giveaway, too.

    Good luck to everyone who enters.

    All the best
    Helen

    ReplyDelete