Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Flower Power Trip, the third book in the Braxton Campus Mystery series by James J. Cudney. Please scroll down to read my review and to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for your chance to win a print copy of the book (U.S. only).

About the Book

Flower Power Trip (Braxton Campus Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Creativia (March 30, 2019)
Print Length: 270 pages
Digital ASIN: B07NDK76WF

 

At a masquerade ball to raise money for renovations to Memorial Library, Kellan finds a dead body dressed in a Dr. Evil costume.

Did one of Maggie’s sisters kill the annoying guest who’d been staying at the Roarke and Daughters Inn, or does the victim have a closer connection to someone else at Braxton College?

As Kellan helps school president Ursula bury a secret from her past and discover the identity of her stalker, he unexpectedly encounters a missing member of his family. Everything seems to trace back to the Stoddards: a new family who recently moved in.

Between the murder, a special flower exhibit and strange postcards arriving each week, Kellan can’t decide which mystery in his life should take priority. But unfortunately, the biggest one of all has yet to be exposed – and when it is, Kellan won’t know what hit him.

438089375 Stars:

Published March 30th 2019 by Creativia

I struggle when I identify the books in this series as cozies. There are elements of cozy mysteries in these books, but they have a bit more to them. They are more of a mystery, with a cozy component (i.e. amateur sleuth, small community, eccentric characters). I have read all the books in this series and even though they can be read as standalone stories, you will want to start at the beginning. The main characters have developed along with their relationships to give you a real feel of knowing them and relating to them. There is also one mysterious storyline that runs throughout all the books.

In this edition, Kellen and his daughter are living in a small home on Nana D’s property. He needed to get out of his parent’s home. He is still working with Nana D on her mayoral run, dodging his surly boss Myriam as much as he can, and trying to figure out where his wife is. When there is a murder at the Costume Party Fundraiser that his sister and friend are hosting for the library, Kellan stumbles into the investigation. The mystery itself is captivating with a lot of clues, suspects, questions, secrets and red herrings. I finally figured out who the killer was, just before it was revealed in the story. The motivation was unexpected, yet appropriate and fitting. One of the best things about this series is the characters and their relationships to one another. It was great to see Kellan and April (Detective) getting along better in this story, but maybe getting along too well, only time will tell. The characters are all a bit quirky and eccentric, especially Nana D and her friends. They speak their mind and often had me laughing out loud. I definitely look forward to the next book in this series and recommend, not only this book but the whole series, to those who like a bit more meat in their cozies. I received a copy of this book from Great Escapes Virtual Tours upon my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Purchase Link Image result for amazon

About the Author

James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College with a degree in English literature. I spent fifteen years building a technology career in the retail, sports, media, and entertainment industries. I enjoyed my job, but a passion for books and stories had been missing for far too long. I’m a voracious reader in my favorite genres (thriller, suspense, contemporary, mystery, and historical fiction), as books transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in so many fantastic cultures and places. I’m an avid genealogist who hopes to visit all the German, Scottish, Irish, and British villages my ancestors emigrated from in the 18th and 19th centuries. I frequently blog and publish book reviews on everything I read at ThisIsMyTruthNow via WordPress.

Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind, and my body. I decided to pursue my passion by dusting off the creativity inside my head and drafting outlines for several novels. I quickly realized I was back in my element growing happier and more excited with life each day. My goal in writing is to connect with readers who want to be part of great stories and who enjoy interacting with authors. To get a strong picture of who I am, check out my author website or my blog. It’s full of humor and eccentricity, sharing connections with everyone I follow—all in the hope of building a network of friends across the world.

When I completed the first book, Watching Glass Shatter, I knew I’d stumbled upon my passion again, suddenly dreaming up characters, plots, and settings all day long. I chose my second novel, Father Figure, through a poll on my blog where I let everyone vote for their favorite plot and character summaries. It is with my third book, Academic Curveball,, the first in the Braxton Campus Mysteries, where I immersed myself in a college campus full of so much activity, I could hardly stop thinking about new murder scenes or character relationships to finish writing the current story. Come join in the fun!

List of Books & Blog
Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)
Father Figure (April 2018)

Braxton Campus Mysteries
Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)
Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)
Flower Power Trip – #3 (Early 2019)

Websites & Blog
Website: https://jamesjcudney.com
Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com

Social Media Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/James-J.-Cudney/e/B076B6PB3M/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BraxtonCampusMysteries
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/james-j-cudney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4

Click the button below for your chance to win a print copy of Flower Power Trip (U.S. Only).

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

April 5 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

April 5 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 6 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

April 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

April 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 8 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

April 8 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

April 9 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

April 9 – Books Direct – GUEST POST

April 10 – Jane Reads – REVIEW

April 10 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT

April 11 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

April 11 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

April 12 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

April 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 13 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

April 13 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

April 14 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 15 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW

April 15 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT