Wendy Tyson's version of suspense gets tighter and more anxiety inducing with each book. In DYING BRAND, we get a clearer picture of who Allison Campbell was when we first met her in KILLER IMAGE. While in the previous novels the mystery/murder is something that Allison stumbles upon in one capacity or another, in DYING BRAND she is personally part of the mystery and that made me even more vested in the outcome. I won't give any spoilers, but Tyson quite literally had me leaning forward to get closer to the page because I was so nervous for Allison and her companions. Vaughn remains a favorite character and this latest installment only solidifies my love for him. If you haven't preordered DYING BRAND, do that now. You won't be sorry.

I'm lucky in that I got to read this book before anyone else. And all I can say is WOW! As much as I loved KILLER IMAGE, DEADLY ASSETS offers so much more. Wendy Tyson delves deeper into the makings of the unlikely heroine and amateur private eye, Allison Campbell. Not only do we get to know Allison more, we really get to know Vaughn, Mia, and the rest of the cast of characters that Wendy creates in order to deliver a rich and moving story. But don't let the in-depth character development fool you, this is a fast-paced thriller that will have you flipping (or clicking for you e-readers) pages anxious to see what happens next. I read it on my computer and just couldn't stop after one (ok 20) chapter. I found myself deeply invested in the problems, families and lives of both victims. I won't spoil anything here, but I was utterly surprised by quite a few developments. And I'm hard to surprise as I'm an avid fan of thrillers/mysteries. Wendy Tyson has done the near impossible: created a sophomore effort that exceeds and already fantastic debut.

I have long been a fan of mysteries, particularly series mysteries. When I first came across Wendy Tyson's Allison Campbell series, I immediately fell in love with her writing. Now, never having been a fan of the cozy mystery genre, I was unsure when I heard about A MUDDIED MURDER, the first in the Greenhouse Mysteries. But, it was Wendy, so I gave it a go. All of my snobbery was completely unwarranted, at least as far as these books are concerned. I immediately felt at home in Winsome and knew all of the characters as if I'd grown up with them. Plus goats!

Having been privileged enough to read BITTER HARVEST in advance of the release, I can tell you that this one is even better. No really! Even better. There is depth to the characters, as one would expect in a series, but it is more than that. The depth reveals that everyone has secrets and sometimes they keep them out of love, not self-preservation.

Megan reads as if she and I would actually be best friends. We'd have tea or wine and talk about all of the odds and ends in our lives. Bibi would join us and I would hope she would immediately adopt me. If Emily Gilmore lived on a farm and embraced the organic life, she would be BiBi. I want to go to their farm, the cafe, and even the town events. And I cannot wait to see what develops for Denver and Megan! The vet is nothing short of dreamy and I want him to be my book boyfriend.

I'm not going to go into any of the details of the plot because I loathe spoilers, but.... Aunt Sarah is more involved, there's an Oktoberfest celebration, apples are important, beer matters, and I want all of the recipes from the cafe.

As a long-time fan of Wendy Tyson and Allison Campbell, I lept at the chance to read the fourth installment of the series before it releases. I was not disappointed in the least. As cliched as it sounds, I absolutely could not put it down. Allison only becomes more complex and therefore more relatable with each book. Because I abhor spoilers, I will only say that Fatal Facade had me cheering for her so thoroughly that I'm a bit sad she isn't real and we can't meet up for a glass of wine. The way that she helps Elle Rose shows determination and compassion that we come to expect from a Wendy Tyson protagonist, but Allison's willingness to walk away for her own safety and that of her family shows growth. All of the sundry characters are fully developed and are anything but caricatures, which makes this installment that much more thrilling. And the historic castle grounds! I'm absolutely going to have to make a trip to the dolomites to experience it myself. Hopefully with less murder.

I liked this little book.  It's no "War and Peace" and at this time in my life, a little book suits me just fine.  It really is a novella rather than a novel.  I enjoyed that it was small and easy to carry around so I could read it when I had a few minutes without it weighing down my purse.  Sometimes a quick, easy read is just what you need.

That story isn't very deep since the book is short but I found it enjoyable.  It centers around Leena who had walked away from her family and disappeared a few years ago.  That idea intrigues me because I think it should be hard for someone to just disappear.  As it turns out, she really didn't disappear and her sister finds her easily enough when she needs her.  Leena is "almost" a private detective, having taken classes on line to be one.  I found that interesting too.  

As Leena investigates for her sister, the story moves quickly but I found the atmosphere to be believable and the characters to be likeable which is important to me.  I'll be happy to read more in the future about Leena and I won't mind if they are short, like this one, or full length.  

I received this book through Librarything's Early Reviewer Program.