Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Copper Waters: Lone Star Book Blog Tours Review, Book Trailer, & Giveaway!

COPPER WATERS
Annalisse Series, Book 4
by
MARLENE M. BELL

Genre: International Mystery / Crime / Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing
Date of Publication: October 7, 2022
Number of Pages: 340

Scroll down for the giveaway!



A rural New Zealand vacation turns poisonous.


Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos are at an impasse in their relationship when Alec refuses to clear up a paternity issue with an ex-lover.

Frustrated with his avoidance when their future is at stake, Annalisse accepts an invitation from an acquaintance to fly to New Zealand—hoping to escape the recent turbulence in her life.

But even Annalisse’s cottage idyll on the family sheep farm isn’t immune to intrigue.

Alec sends a mutual friend and detective, Bill Drake, to follow her, and a local resident who accompanies them from the Christchurch airport dies mysteriously soon after. A second violent death finds Annalisse and Bill at odds with the official investigations.

The local police want to close both cases as quickly as possible—without unearthing the town’s dirty secrets.

As she and Bill pursue their own leads at serious cost, the dual mysteries force Annalisse to question everything she thought she knew about family ties, politics, and the art of small-town betrayal.

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HALL WAYS REVIEW: In Copper Waters, Marlene Bell is back with the fourth installment of her Annalisse Series! The New Zealand setting allows for another amazing armchair travel adventure – which is one of the things I like best about the Annalisse Series. Bell always does a great job of putting readers right in the scenes. The descriptions of not only the natural elements, but also the look and vibe of the buildings and town, add an extra dimension of enjoyment. And language lover that I am, the sprinkling of Kiwi terms and sentence constructions are a fun bonus. Oh, and it’s always excellent to (vicariously) live the lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous!

I have read two of the prior three books: Stolen Obsession (which has since been considerably revised), and Spent Identity, so the significant backstory given to readers in Copper Waters bogged things down for me; I want the here and now, not the then and there!  I wonder if it was almost too much detail for new-to-the-series readers. But, on the plus side, it does allow the book to stand alone, and when reading the blips from Anna’s prior adventures, without a doubt, it gets one’s attention and piques one’s curiosity. (Admittedly, I feel the need to go back and read Italy-set Scattered Legacy.)  Seriously – how can one gal be embroiled in so much delicious drama?

Copper Waters isn’t the same level of action and suspense as the prior books, and readers spend a lot of time inside Annalisse’s ruminations about the present, the past, and her future – with or without Alec, the boyfriend who continues to offer a ring despite Anna continuing to decline the marriage offer. Not that I blame her this time around. That sub-plot, and a contributing factor in why Anna bolts to New Zealand, are one of the interesting parts of the story.

I found that in this book, likely due to the amount of internal dialogue, I started to understand Annalisse a little bit better, and hallelujah, I think she’s maturing at last. I loved having Bill Drake back and as a more central figure. He’s a character I’d like to learn more about and one who could carry a series on his own, I think. There is plenty that happens outside Anna’s thoughts, too, and the focus on the mystery / whodunit was more enticing for me than any romantic elements. Characters and situations are not all that they seem, and kudos to Bell for an unexpected and extraordinarily chilling resolution. 

I enjoy this series and am interested in seeing what happens next (a horse racing scandal, perhaps?) and maybe even what happened before…not only is Bill Drake intriguing, but I’d love to go waaaay back to what started it all and get a prequel about Anna’s BFF Samantha. There are all kinds of possibilities, and from a writing perspective, I am enjoying watching Bell, a gifted storyteller, hone her craft. Can’t wait to see what’s next!


Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series -- mysteries with a touch of romance -- has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity) and FAPA (Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award) for two other installments, Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy. She also penned the first of her children's picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER:
$50 VISA Card, 100% New Zealand wool throw, leather bucket bag, signed ARC paperback of Copper Waters, Hagestad hammered copper water bottle, Lucy Pittaway notebook
(US only; ends midnight, CST, 3/3/2023)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, OR VISIT THE PARTICIPATING BLOGS DIRECTLY:

02/21/23

Review

Bibliotica

02/21/23

Review

Hall Ways Blog

02/22/23

Review

Julia Picks 1

02/22/23

BONUS Promo

LSBBT Blog

02/23/23

Review

It's Not All Gravy

02/23/23

Review

The Real World According to Sam

02/24/23

Review

Forgotten Winds

02/24/23

Review

Book Fidelity

02/25/23

Review

Librariel Book Adventures

02/26/23

Review

The Plain-Spoken Pen

02/27/23

Review

StoreyBook Reviews

02/28/23

Review

Boys' Mom Reads

02/28/23

Review

Jennie Reads

03/01/23

Review

The Book's Delight

03/01/23

BONUS Promo

All the Ups and Downs

03/02/23

Review

Rox Burkey Blog

03/02/23

Review

Chapter Break Book Blog

   blog tour services provided by





6 comments:

  1. Fab review! Mine will be closely similar. Love this series of books!

    ReplyDelete
  2. A superb review as always from Hall Ways. Thanks so much for reading the Annalisse series and your thoughtful review of the advance reader copy for Copper Waters. Several points made here are addressed in the final version of this book, and yes, Bill Drake is a popular fellow with readers. I'm toying with an offshoot series featuring Bill down the road. You'll have to wait for #5 to see how horseracing enters the Anna and Alec mysteries.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are too kind. I look forward to whatever's coming next!

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  3. My next book will be a new novel unrelated to the Annalisse series but still in the cozy mystery realm. A pastry chef with a lot on her plate!!

    ReplyDelete