Sunday, February 13, 2011

Sunday Salon: Time for Reviews

SHOT THROUGH VELVET by Ellen Byerrum

Fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian has been one of my favorite protagonist for sometime.

Lacey knows her way around the fashion world and has an uncanny knack for finding dead bodies. She can pull off wearing vintage clothes while tracking down killers.

On her latest assignment Lacey is covering the last day of operation for a failing Virginia velvet factory. She’s on the tour with her hunky boyfriend, Vic Donovan, who will take over the security operations of the factory the next day. In the last vat of dye, the group finds not only a spool of midnight blue velvet but the body of the factory’s manager, nicknamed Blue Devil by the employees.

Workers dub the killer the ‘Velvet Avenger’ since they blame the manager, as well as the factory owners for closing the plant and costing them their jobs. Lacey has her hands full when she learns the newspaper’s publisher is one of the factory owners and appears to be targeted by the killer.

While trying to expose the killer, Lacey is also dealing with the dread of impending doom as she fears the Valentine’s Day curse will strike her again.

Author Ellen Byerrum touches on the economic hard times many are currently facing, but at the same time adds bits of humor to make Lacey’s story a fun read. SHOT THROUGH VELVET is the seventh installment in the Crime of Fashion Mystery series, but is a stand alone book.

Author Ellen Byerrum’s website is http://www.ellenbyerrum.com/

Shot Through Velvet by Ellen Byerrum, A Crime of Fashion Mystery, Obsidian, @2011, ISBN: 978-0-451-23250-2, Paperback, 336 pages


FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

DÉJÀ VU by Fern Michaels

The Sisterhood, no longer fugitives, can begin to get on with their lives thanks to a presidential pardon.

As the ladies begin to settle in, they still have to deal with the fact that master criminal Hank Jellicoe is still at large. When approached by the Presidents the Sisterhood decides it’s time to bring the cunning mastermind to his knees.

Using their own unique tricks of the trade, the Sisterhood does what it does best - finds justice for those wronged giving the readers a few laughs along the way.
 

Déjà vu is the 19th installment in the Sisterhood Series. The story can be read without having read the previous books, but there will be gaps in the story.

Fern Michaels' website is http://fernmichaels.com/

Déjà vu by Fern Michaels, The Sisterhood Series, Read by Laura Merlington, Brilliance Audio, @2010, ISBN: 1-4418-1896-0, Abridged, 4 Cds, 4 Hours Run Time

FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was given to me by my best friend who also enjoys the Sisterhood series and was the one who introduced me to this intriguing group of ladies.

Now what have you read (or listened) to this past week?

21 comments:

  1. This week, I've read:

    Stitch Me Deadly by Amanda Lee
    Whatever It Takes by Deb Baker
    Shot Through Velvet by Ellen Byerrum
    Three Sisters by Helen Smith
    Bad Bird by Chris Knopf

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  2. Mason - Thanks for these reviews. It sounds like you've had some very enjoyable reads :-).

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  3. Dru, you amaze me how much you read. And you didn't mentioned that you made two quilts as well. I have Stitch Me Deadly in my TBR stack and looking forward to it.

    Margot, both were enjoyable books with characters that I like revisiting again and again.

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  4. wow... I'm adding to my reading list weekly. Thanks for the great recommendations.

    Lou

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  5. What cool books and covers. I bet the first book was fun to research.

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  6. Thanks for the review - Shot Through Velvet sound like the kind of book I would enjoy a lot. :)

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  7. Alex, to me the second cover is very relaxing.

    Lou, I know the feeling. I tell myself no more books and then I turn around and add 3 more. LOL

    Clarissa, as for research Ellen did tour a velvet factory that was closing and that's where the idea for the book came from. Be sure to check out her website, I think she has a story about it there.

    Marvin, I think you would enjoy Shot Through Velvet. It has a fashion-theme but it's not all 'girlie.'

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  8. Oh, these both sound fabulous! I have read several of the Sisterhood series by Fern Michaels, but haven't read this one. Must get right on it!

    Thanks for sharing.

    Here's my SUNDAY SALON

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  9. Shot through Velvet looks like a fun read, love the tie in with fashion. I clicked over to the author's website and read a sample, the writing's got a lot of energy. Thanks for the review.

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  10. Good review. These need to go on my list.
    Ann

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  11. I really enjoy Ellen's writing! It's always fun to read her books! BUT, I haven't read any of "The Sisterhood" books and these sounds really interesting! Wow, 19 books in the series too! I'm going to see about that first book. Nice though if I really enjoy the series that I'll have 18 more books to enjoy!!

    Thanks for sharing!

    As far as what I've read this week, I finished up a few books and am into Jane Eyre now!

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  12. I have read nothing! Kind of busy week for me...

    Here is my Sunday Salon post!

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  13. Those sound good! This week I finished Hush Hush, am almost done Dragon Girl (latest in the Pern series) and I have Anne of Gree Gables on my iPod :)

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  14. Glad to see Lacey's returned! Just finishing up Absolutely, Positively, a cute romantic mystery by Heather Webber.

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  15. This week, I discovered Katherine Stone. Not a new release but a very good book:A Midnight Clear.
    Shot through velvet sounds good for me.
    But next,I want to discover Vicki Delany after having put my vote for her at CBC, having read your post yesterday and hers on Mystery lover's kitchen today.

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  16. I like the combination of fashion and crime. It's original and catchy.
    Nahno ∗ McLein

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  17. You tell us about the most interesting books. I love clever murder mysteries. I just wish I had time to read them all.

    I just finished reading Dogsled Dreams by one of the Bloggers, Terry Lynn Johnson. Even though I'm 70, I still love MG and YA novels. This one is a good one that I'll pass on to my several grandchildren that I think would like it. I learned a lot about dog sledding.

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  18. Laurel, after I listened to this installment in the Sisterhood Series I realized I had missed several prior books that would have filled in some blanks. I've got to go back and catch up.

    Joanne, the writing is energized. That's one of the fun things about Ellen's series. Lacey is a fun protagonist too.

    Ann, hope you enjoy the reads.

    Suzanne, the Sisterhood is best read in order. It may take a couple of books before you really get into to it but it is intriguing.

    Gautami, I've had weeks like that too. Maybe next week you'll get a chance to read a bit.

    Jemi, those sound like good books. I need to read Anne of Green Gables.

    Julia, I love Heather's writing too.

    Danielle, I haven't hear of Katherine Stone before. I'll have to check her out. Vicki's book does sound intriguing and thanks for voting.

    Nahno, fashion and crime do make for intriguing mystery. :)

    Ann, I've reads a couple of reviews on Dogsled Dreams and read a couple of interviews by Terry Lynn Johnson. It sounds so intriguing. If it wasn't for the freezing cold, I think I'd like dog sledding. :)

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.