DEADLY KEEPSAKES
A Tori Winters Mystery
by
ANITA DICKASON
Categories: Mystery / Women Sleuths
Publisher: Mystic Circle Books *** July 1, 2022 *** 360 pages
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When Tori Winters becomes the star witness in a murder trial, someone tries to kill her. Terrified, she’s not giving the killer a second chance. With all her worldly possessions packed in her car, Tori is on the run. A mysterious phone call about an inheritance leads her to Granbury. After all, who would look for her in a small, quaint Texas town?
Instead, Tori’s life is about to spin into an existence where nothing is as it seems. The historic house she inherits is steeped in secrets from the past. Secrets that may prove deadly. A stranger in a strange town, who can she trust? There is the disinherited step-grandson and the lawyer and his son. What are they hiding?
Tori’s inheritance may not be a blessing when a killer strikes again. It could be her death warrant.
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SEE THE BOOK TRAILER ON YOUTUBE
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When I first started reading Deadly Keepsakes I knew I was going to love Tori, and I wasn’t disappointed. She’s a strong, engaging character with a lot of grit, and she needs that to stand up to the people who are pressuring her to sell the beautiful old house she inherited that is in serious disrepair. But she fell in love with the house the minute she saw it, and her heart says to stay.
The best thing she does when she first gets to town is to hire Mia who has a cleaning business in addition to being the manager of the small grocery store where Tori meets her. The two women quickly form a strong bond, creating a fun familiarity that’s a pleasure to share vicariously.
As the story progresses, and the cleaning progresses, the four women that make up the cleaning crew, Mia, Heidi, Tina, and Cammie become Tori’s tribe. At one point in the story they pull together to outfit her for a formal dinner party she doesn’t want to go to. “It’s just not me.” She says at one point, and I could relate. Like Tori, I’m more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt than a fancy dress and heels. The women also protect Tori when they can, letting her know she’s not alone in this strange new town with all the strange things happening around her.
As for the mystery, there are plenty of people that want Tori to be gone; either highly encouraged to sell her property or be gone by other means. The author does a good job throwing the proverbial red herrings into the mix, so the reader doesn’t know who’s the one going beyond the encouragement stage to actual force. There are plenty of people to dislike and suspect. The attorney who resents Tori wanting to manage the estate herself. The head of the development company that wants the land the old house sits on. The CPA who really, really, wants Tori to let him handle the financial affairs for her, hinting that what could she, a nurse, know about millions of dollars in investments.
Her response to him is priceless.
Then there’s David, The step-grandson who had been in line to inherit the estate from the grandmother that Tori didn’t even know she had until she gets the call from the attorney in Granbury. Could David be the one that wants her out of the way? If anything happens to Tori the will left by her grandmother states that everything will then go to David. That certainly is motive enough, but then David is so sweet, so charming… too charming?
If you like a mystery that has a little more edge than a strict cozy but with humorous elements you’d find in a cozy, as well as a great cast of characters, this is the book for you.
Award-winning author Anita Dickason is a twenty-two-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department. She served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics detective, advanced accident investigator, SWAT tactical officer, and the team’s first female sniper.
Anita’s extensive law enforcement experience and knowledge provide the inspiration for her plots, and characters. She writes about what she knows, cops and crime.
Her works have received multiple awards from Book Viral Millennium Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, Literary Titan Book Awards, Independent Author Network Book Awards, and Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Award.
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YOUTUBE: AN AUTHOR’S WORLD ***** BOOK CHATTER AND MORE
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS: Tote Bag, Copy of Deadly Keepsakes, Bookmarks.
(US only; ends midnight, CDT, July 29, 2022)
***** A RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY *****
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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:
| 7/19/22 | Video Excerpt | All the Ups and Downs |
| 7/19/22 | Review | Julia Picks 1 |
| 7/19/22 | BONUS Promo | Hall Ways Blog |
| 7/20/22 | Review | The Clueless Gent |
| 7/20/22 | BONUS Promo | LSBBT Blog |
| 7/21/22 | Guest Post | Jennie Reads |
| 7/21/22 | Review | Writing and Music |
| 7/22/22 | Author Interview | Forgotten Winds |
| 7/22/22 | Review | The Plain-Spoken Pen |
| 7/23/22 | Excerpt | Chapter Break Book Blog |
| 7/24/22 | Review | It’s Not All Gravy |
| 7/25/22 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
| 7/26/22 | Guest Post | Sybrina’s Book Blog |
| 7/26/22 | Review | Boys’ Mom Reads |
| 7/27/22 | Review | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 7/27/22 | BONUS Promo | Rox Burkey Blog |
| 7/28/22 | Review | Shelf Life Blog |
| 7/28/22 | Review | The Book’s Delight |
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It sounds like there is much to love in this book. Lots of angles, too. Can’t wait to find out the house’s secrets and meet these interesting characters. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by Kristine. You will enjoy this book.
Thank you so very much for reviewing and hosting my new book. I truly appreciate your interest in my new endeavor. This was a fun story to write. It certainly is a change from my crime thrillers. I have already started on my second book in the series. Has the house given up all its secrets?
Happy to host your book and review it, Anita, and I look forward to the next. Hope to see the old house be transformed into a B&B.
Yes, this is a great book and I can picture it featured with a book club. The plot would make for a few lively discussions and the romantic possibilities for some outright debates. Very highly recommended.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Lou. This would be a good book club selection.
I love Tori! Can’t wait to read more in this series. Thanks for sharing your review!
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa. I do think Anita has a winner in this new character.
What an insightful review. This helped me add it to my TBR list. Thanks.
Glad you liked the review, Rox. The story doesn’t disappoint. 🙂