Murder at the Arboretum by Christa Nardi Review, Interview and Giveaway

Murder at the Arboretum by Christa Nardi Great Eascapes Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

 

 Murder in the Arboretum

by Christa Nardi

The story is so good you will be hooked from the start and eagerly wanting more when it is over.
~Shelley’s Book Case

This is a great mystery that kept me guessing as to who the murderer was and I really enjoyed that.
~Community Bookstop

I enjoy this set of mysteries.
~readalot

If you like writing that is has an intelligent feel to it, while not being overbearing, Murder in the Arboretum should be on your TBR list or shelf for this year. Ms. Nardi’s writing is both educational and entertaining, a difficult duo to master.
~Back Porchervations

This is a good mystery and a good story, one that I found both fun and interesting.
~THe GaL iN THe BLue MaSK

Murder in the Arboretum was a fast-paced mystery that just seemed to grab you from the very beginning.
~Books-n-Kisses

Murder in the Arboretum:
Cold Creek #2
Paperback: 266 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 7, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1496132291
E-Book File Size: 1423 KB
ASIN: B00MSX487I



Synopsis:

Another murder in small town Cold Creek has tensions rising. Clive Johnson, the groundskeeper at Cold Creek College, is a convenient scapegoat for a police chief who seeks an easy solution. Convinced Chief Pfeiffe has it all wrong, professor and psychologist Sheridan Hendley sets out to help prove Clive’s innocence. But not everyone is pleased by her enthusiastic search for the truth. Just as her life is looking up personally, it looks like she might be the next victim.

About This Author

Christa Nardi is and always has been an avid reader. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery/crime authors over time, but mystery/crime along with romance are her preferred choices for leisure reading. Christa also has been a long time writer from poetry and short stories growing up to technical, research, and nonfiction in her professional life. With Murder at Cold Creek College, Christa is joining many other reader/writers in writing one genre she enjoys reading – the cozy mystery. Christa Nardi is a pen name for a real life professor/psychologist from the Northeast.

Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christa.nardi.5
Blog: Christa Reads and Writes (christanardi.blogspot.com)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7257539.Christa_Nardi?from_search=true
Purchase Link:
Amazon Book 1 in Series






Tour Participants
January 5 –  Shelley’s Book Case – Review, Interview
January 6 – Community Bookstop – Review
January 7 – Back Porchervations – Review
January 7 – readalot – Review
January 8 – The Gal in the Blue Mask – Review
January 9 – Books-n-Kisses – Review
January 10 – off
January 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Interview
January 12 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – Review
January 13 – deal sharing aunt – Interview
January 14 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – Reviewhe crime.
January 15 – Omnimystery News Interview

Interview

Where are you from? 

I’m originally from the northeast – a Connecticut Yankee for sure, a UConn alumnus.  I’ve lived in a number of places (south and west), but 40+ years in a place leaves its mark. 

Tell us your latest news?

Latest news? I finally joined the twitter crowd! For anyone with not enough to do, following on twitter and tweeting and retweeting could definitely fill the hours.  Between all the social media these days, it is amazing anyone gets anything done.  The other news is that I’ve started the third in the Cold Creek series and hope to finish it sometime this spring. 

When and why did you begin writing? 

I began writing in elementary school as a way to get my ideas and feelings out.  I wrote stories and then poetry in high school and early on in college.  As an adult, I tried to write a fantasy novel and truly wish I knew what happened to that, but work, school, and life got in the way.  A few years ago, I decided to try writing a mystery, mostly for fun.  Writing is a form of therapy – the story can go anywhere and figuring out the plot, the characters, and twists is like one big puzzle.

When did you first consider yourself a writer? 

I’ve probably always considered myself a “would be” writer.  Seeing the first product in print gave it credence.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I love mystery and people are at times the biggest mystery we face.  Creating characters, the story line, the subplots was a mystery to be solved in itself but with a blank canvas. I could solve it any way I wanted, according only to my own rules.  I think it was the challenge and the control of the story and characters.

Do you have a specific writing style?

Other than that I write in the first person rather than the third person, I don’t think there is a specific style or formula I follow.  If you identify one, I’d love to know what it is!

How did you come up with the title?

Not the most creative, I know.  The story is about a murder and body is found in the arboretum.  I played with a few others but when I checked, I found several books with those titles already. That eliminated a few. 

It may be hard to believe, but titles are more challenging than the story sometimes, especially if you don’t want to give anything away about the ending.  To keep consistent for the series, the third will likely be “Murder of/in/at …” – I haven’t decided yet.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

My English teachers drilled into us that there is always a message, even if it is not spelled out or immediately obvious.  I have to say I didn’t always agree with that they thought that message might be.  Sending a message wasn’t the goal of Murder in the Arboretum.  That said, there are multiple instances where people or situations aren’t what they seem, where assumptions are made based on partial information or accepted standards.  Sometimes we need to check our assumptions.  And sometimes, people can surprise us.

What would you like my readers to know?

Please feel free to contact me via email or twitter.  I’d love to hear about your favorite scene or favorite character, even what you might have done differently.  Mostly, my blog (Christa Reads and Writes) is book reviews and tour stops like this one, but I also post updates on Cold Creek.  Stop by sometime!  Also, as with most authors, as I finish the draft for the third book, I will be looking for beta readers – let me know if you’d be interested. Finally, whatever you read, please remember to post a review – that is helpful to authors and other readers alike.

My review:

Murder at the Arboretum is a new book in the series called Cold Creek by Christa Nardi. Here we go again, another murder has taken place and the police as usual are on the trail of the wrong person. They believe that their suspect, Clive Johnson, is the guilty party. Professor Sheridan Hendley thinks they have found an easy answer to the crime. She really wants to help Clive but, will she find the real killer before he decides to kill her?  I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book for the purpose of a review and all opinions are my own.




a Rafflecopter giveaway