Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for Murder Is A Dirty Business by Tricia L. Sanders

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, for Murder Is A Dirty Business by Tricia L. Sanders. Please leave a comment or question for Tricia to let her know you stopped by. You may enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You may follow all of the stops on the tour by clicking on the banner above. The more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. Good Luck!

Murder is a Dirty Business
By Tricia L. Sanders
Grime Pays, Book 1

Soul Mate Publishing, LLC

November 15, 2017

Length: 254 pages

ISBN: 978-1682916018

ASIN: B076KVQ4WR

Purchase Link   Amazon

When Cece Cavanaugh’s husband empties their joint bank account, steals her designer luggage, and runs off with a younger woman, Cece must decide whether to ask her manipulative mother-in-law for a handout or get a job. Choosing the easier path, Cece lands a job cleaning a crime scene where a high school coach was murdered. When his wife is implicated—a young woman Cece practically raised—Cece finds herself mopping floors, balancing an empty checkbook, and ferreting out a killer. 

Amid all this messy business, Cece bumps heads with a handsome detective. She tries to ignore her growing attraction to the detective, but he gives new meaning to the term “hot flash.” 

After she stumbles onto a clue that could vindicate her friend, her elation turns to panic when she haphazardly confronts the killer. Through the danger and romance, Cece discovers self-reliance and inner strength. 

And that crime—at least, someone else’s—does pay the bills.

Tricia L. Sanders writes about women with class, sass, and a touch of kickass. A former instructional designer and corporate trainer, she traded in curriculum writing for novel writing, because she hates bullet points and loves to make stuff up. And fiction is more fun than training guides and lesson plans.

When she isn’t writing, Tricia is busy crossing dreams off her bucket list. With all 50 states checked, she’s concentrating on foreign interests. She’s an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, so don’t get between her and the television when a game is on. Currently, she is working on a mystery series set in the fictional town of Wickford, Missouri. Another project in the works is a women’s fiction road trip adventure.\

Her essays have appeared in Sasee, ByLine, The Cuivre River Anthology and Great American Outhouse Stories; The Whole Truth and Nothing Butt. She is a proud member of The Lit Ladies, six women writing their truths into fiction.

Author Links 

Website: http://www.triciasanders.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authortricialsanders/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36458199-murder-is-a-dirty-business 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXRJSRSmTjg

Murder Is A Dirty Business by Tricia L. Sanders is a light-hearted, cosy mystery, set in a small fictional town in Missouri.  Filled with colourful characters, an intriguing career choice and an interesting mystery, Ms Sanders kept my attention from start to finish.  A strong beginning for her new Grime Pays series, Murder Is a Dirty Business is sure to please mystery fans, especially those who enjoy middle-aged heroines. 

Cece Cavanaugh, the central character in this book and series, is used to the upper crust lifestyle her husband’s business provides; a housekeeper, country club membership and regular trips to the salon.  When her husband dumps her for his much younger employee, empties their bank accounts and she discovers their house is in danger of foreclosure, Cece suddenly finds herself in desperate need of a job that pays well and doesn’t require any specific training.

I have to admit that I wasn’t Cece’s biggest fan at the start of the book because I personally believe that every woman, married or not, needs to be aware of her household’s finances and needs to be involved in monetary decisions.  The fact she didn’t know about her husband’s affair and wasn’t aware of her husband’s financial chicanery made her look weak. However, I was impressed with her willingness to search for a job and to settle for one that her country club “friends’ would never willingly stoop to. However, she soon finds herself involved in a murder mystery involving her daughter’s best friend, and helping the accused, as a byproduct of her new job.

The mystery is well written and takes several twists and turns.  I enjoyed getting to watch Cece’s interaction with the detective assigned to the investigation and watching the “sparks” fly between them.  They are clearly attracted to each other but Cece is not in an emotional place to deal with the attraction at this time (I also wasn’t a big fan of how concerned she was about preserving her soon to be ex-husbands relationship with their daughters). 

Ms Sanders’ voice as an author is well established and easy to read. I was pleased with how she developed Cece’s character, and also the secondary characters who will undoubtedly show up in future books. The story’s pace is fairly smooth and it’s easy to read from start to finish.

Will Cece discover the killer’s identity before the killer decides to “clean house” and put Cece out with the trash?  Will Cece tell her daughters why she had to get a job and that they need to start economizing?  You’ll have to read Murder Is A Dirty Business to find out.  I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns 

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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.  My review is my opinion of the reading material provided.