Come, Bitter Poison by Monica Knightley - #review #giveaway

Sexy film star. Long-held secrets. Murder by poison.

When international stage and film star Miles Elliot comes to Stratford Upon Avondale to play Macbeth, Maggie O’Flynn is thrilled. He’s been her actor crush for years. But when Miles ends up at the center of a murder investigation Maggie finds herself slipping back into the role of amateur sleuth. Before long many of her friends become suspects in not just one murder, but two. Maggie must discover who’s poisoning people associated with the Shakespeare Festival before one of her friends gets slapped with a murder charge. And she must do so while dodging paparazzi that are stalking her due to a supposed love affair she’s having with Miles Elliot.

With a bit of Shakespeare, copious amounts of tea, and a faux-English setting to rival anything the real England has to offer, COME, BITTER POISON is the second book in THE STRATFORD UPON AVONDALE mystery series. Though part of a series, COME, BITTER POISON can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. Lovers of cozy mysteries will find a cozy home in Stratford Upon Avondale.

GoodReads * Amazon

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MY REVIEW

Ah yes, "The Scottish Play".  I've only heard that it is applicable when people are in a theatre building, but there are varied interpretations of the curse.  All I really remember is that it involves turning around a couple of times and spitting a couple of times.  But the mention of the word "M" can send believers into a tizzy and perhaps cause others with nefarious plans to take advantage of the situation that results.

Such is the case with Come, Bitter Poison, by new-to-me author Monica Knightley.  I was a bit confused at one point, because after Maggie triggered the curse by saying that word during a welcome dinner for the actors, and her learning (and performing) the slightly embarrassing curse removal ritual ... well, she must have forgotten about all that because when it is brought up later, she seems not to know once again.

There's a bit of fun for Mags when Miles (famous stage and movie star and sex symbol) squires her around town.  Maggie has had a star crush on Miles for years, and it is like a dream come true.  Until the paparazzi find out and begin following her around town, disrupting her life and her business.  There's also another tall, dark and handsome in town with interest in Maggie, so her romantic plate is f.u.l.l.!

Maggie's friends, both the old ones and the new ones are under suspicion of a murder at the theatre.  And if that wasn't enough, there's another murder in town, of a man with ties to the theatre as well.  So our intrepid heroine gets to work on two mysteries as well! (I guess this is Maggie's book for two-fers, eh?)

It's no secret I love the theatre and am obsessed with all things Scottish.  What you may not know is that my favorite playwright EVER is William Shakespeare.  All three of them are in Come, Bitter Poison, so I was pretty stoked to begin with.  Even better, the book lived up to its promise; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and can't wait to get back to Stratford-upon-Avondale!

Now that my own fandom has been established I charge the book Come Bitter Poison ... to "do thy work" so more readers can enjoy a great series!

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Monica Knightley began creating compelling characters and stories at the age of three, when she had a plethora of imaginary friends, all with complete backstories. Today any characters that come knocking on the door of her imagination find themselves in one of her mysteries, young adult novels, or paranormal romances.

When not fueling her reading addiction or writing her next book, Monica loves to travel with her husband—especially to England. A bit of England seems to make its way into most of her books. Must haves include a perfectly steeped cup of tea, and a good, bold red wine. She lives in Portland, Oregon where the frequent rainy weather is perfect for curling up with a good book and a cup of tea.

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GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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