THE MAGNOLIA BLUFF
CRIME CHRONICLES
Seasons 1 & 2
by
The Underground Authors
Scroll down for a giveaway!
Each stand-alone book in this multi-author crime novel series is set in the fictitious, beautiful little Texas Hill Country town of Magnolia Bluff. Each author writes in their preferred sub-genre to allow readers to experience humor, dark dilemmas, suspense, romance, thrills, and spills — told through good storytelling that will keep readers awake past their bedtime, trying to find out whodunit.
Season three of The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles begins in January 2024. Stay tuned.
FEATURED BOOK
Second Chances by Joe Congel
Small Town & Rural Fiction / Murder / Mystery
Publication Date: September 18, 2023
Page Count: 262 pages
Retired New York Police Detective, Brandon Turner wanted to move as far away from the Big Apple as possible. Pointing a finger at a map, he ends up in Magnolia Bluff, a small town in the Texas Hill Country.
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to retire here as he’d hoped. While exploring a park with his dog and the real-estate agent showing him the property, they discover a body. They report the death and, as far as Turner is concerned, that’s where it ends. But it’s not that simple.
This body was not the first. There were others and all the evidence points to drugs. The local police are not savvy enough to solve these crimes on their own and ask Turner for help. But the former detective has other ideas. He intends to leave his past life where it belongs…in the past. But he soon realizes that he just can’t stay away from the case. Vowing not to work with the local detective, Turner begins his own investigation, putting himself, his dog, and the woman he just met in danger.
Can Turner and the local police set aside their differences long enough to stop a potential drug ring from destroying more lives? The town’s residents are counting on it. As for Turner, he just wants to solve this case as soon as possible so he can start enjoying his retirement.
JILL'S GUEST REVIEW: Second Chances by Joe Congel is book 17 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. Author Joe Congel weaves together a compelling mystery that will keep you in your seat until the last page, and leave you wishing for more.
Brandon Turner decides to leave New York City and his career as a narcotics officer for a simpler life. Pointing randomly at a map leads him to Magnolia Bluff, Texas, a small town near Austin where life appears slower—but looks can be deceiving. While with his real estate agent, Joyce, they stumble across a dead body, and Brandon finds himself pulled into the investigation. Will Brandon be able to find the peaceful life he’s searching for, or will this murder be the death of his dreams?
Joe Congel brings Magnolia Bluff, Texas, to life in this tightly-crafted whodunit. Fantastic action and snappy dialogue pull the reader in and don’t let go. It would be easy to lose track in this large cast of characters, but the author keeps a tight focus on the clues while also portraying a slice of life in a small town where everyone knows your business and secrets are hard to keep. Brandon’s tension with Detective Sovern adds the perfect amount of seasoning to this stew of murder and mayhem, keeping the intensity level high at just the right moments.
Brandon is a guy you can easily root for, the kind of guy you hope all cops would be. His budding feelings for Joyce and the portrayal of her as a mom caring for her teenaged son provides a nice counterpoint to the body count piling up in the seedy underbelly of the town. I give this well-crafted mystery a 5 for its effective storytelling and firm grip on the reader. I gulped it down in a day! Although it easily stands alone, I think you’ll find yourself quickly wanting another trip to Magnolia Bluff to see how some of the other characters manage their own mysteries.
He spent twenty-five plus years helping to raise two wonderful kids into adulthood and now spends his time enjoying his grandson, two granddaughters, baseball, playing guitar, reading, and, of course, writing stories he hopes people will want to read.
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS:
1st: $25 Amazon gift card
2nd & 3rd: eBook bundles of first 18 books in the series
(US only; ends midnight, CST, 12/8/23)
ENTER THE 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 blogs directly:
11/27/23
10 Million Ways to Die
Review
11/27/23
Death Wears a Crimson Hat
Review
11/27/23
Series Spotlight
11/28/23
Death in the Absence of Rain
Review
11/28/23
Eulogy in Black and White
Review
11/28/23
Series Spotlight
11/29/23
The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy
Review
11/29/23
Only the Good Die Young
Spotlight
11/29/23
When Bad Things Happen to Good Mice
Review
11/30/23
You Won’t Know How. . .or When
Review
12/01/23
The Flower Enigma
Review
12/01/23
The Killer Enigma
Review
12/02/23
Men Lying Dead in a Field
Spotlight
12/02/23
The Shine from a Girl in the Lake
Review
12/03/23
The Dewey Decimal Dilemma
Review
12/03/23
The Dog Gone Diamond Dilemma
Review
12/04/23
Justice
Spotlight
12/04/23
Bye Baby Bye
Review
12/05/23
Texas Summers are Murder
Sneak Peek
12/05/23
Born and Bred Texan
Review
12/06/23
Who Killed Lilly Paine?
Review
12/07/23
Second Chances
Review
12/08/23
A Chance of a Ghost
Sneak Peek
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Wow! Thank you, Kristine for letting Jill "borrow" your blog. And Jill, thank you for such an amazing review! The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles Series is filled with great storytelling produced by some very talent writers. I feel blessed to be a member of the Underground Authors. They inspire me every day to try and write a better story.
ReplyDeleteShe writes a great review -- I can't wait to read the book myself. Way to go, Joe!
DeleteTerrific review, Jill. Thanks for the introduction to another great story set in this fabulous place of Magnolia Bluff.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't this one sound excellent? I can't wait to read. Kudos to Jill!
DeleteNice work Joe and Jill, thanks for a great review that I'm violently in agreement with. Kristine thanks for hosting the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series.
ReplyDeleteYikes! Not too violently, I hope! Though it is crime fiction. Tee hee. Thanks for stopping by & reading the review, Charles.
DeleteWhen tough NY cop Brandon Turner picks Magnolia Bluff as his serene retirement vista, all of us familiar with the #magnoliabluffcrimechronicles know what's coming. He should have googled local crime stats first. That said, Turner is smart and a little ornery; his interactions with local police are a joy to read. Joe Congel is a terrific writer, and makes a big contribution to this wonderful series. Highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteHa! That's what I keep thinking -- Google the crime stats, people! What fun would that be, though? I look forward to reading this series. Have the first 19 downloaded -- now to find the time to READ.
DeleteThis is my first read of a Joe Congel book. It won't be my last. In Second Chance, Brandon Turner retires from the New York Police as a narcotics detective. He decides to move to Magnolia Bluff in the Texas Hill Country to fish and kick back. But on his first day there, he finds a murder victim. Not his job. He's retired. But it soon becomes evident to Brandon that the local detective has no experience with murder and narcotics. He agrees to "help out" a little. And soon, it is, in reality, his case.
ReplyDeleteCongel has created a believable character. We see his reluctance, but we also see and feel why he is compelled to help. Great story. And he has a great dog character who is more than a pet. Grab a copy and start reading. You will not regret it.
I really hope to read the whole series! Thanks for sharing about the book, James.
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