Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches by Keith Hirshlan Gues Post and Review!

Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches by Keith Hirshland

 Publisher

 Beacon Publishing Group (October 6, 2023) 

Category

 Mystery 

Tour dates

 May 29-June 28, 2024

 ISBN

 978-1961504035 

Available in Print and ebook 

356 pages

   

When we last left Murphy Murphy, the Department of Redundancy Department detective had just solved a mystery that revolved around the popular rock band, Serious Crisis. That success made headlines and sent Murphy's world spinning.

 Acclaim followed in the form of TV network interviews, a book deal, and ultimately a call from Hollywood. Now, back in Los Angeles our intrepid detective goes from movie set consultant to crime solving detective with one, out of the blue, phone call. 

The Commission on Cliches is in crisis and only Murphy Murphy can solve the case. Murder, mayhem, and a motive as old as the hills ensue as redundancies and cliches abound. Can Murphy crack the case? Only time will tell.

Praise Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches by Keith Hirshland

“Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commision on Cliches by Keith Hirshland is another grand adventure for fans of this detective. Filled with intrigue and humor, readers get the best mystery from this talented writer. If you love mystery, music, and drama then this is for you! Think of Pink Panther and Anthony Horowitz's novels had a baby...this book would be it. It keeps you glued into the story wondering what's next. 

The suspense of what the characters will do or say is the key that keeps me coming back for more. Keith Hirshland is also gifted in not only wonderful characterization but also in dialogue. Just like the key word in the title of this read, readers will find popular cliches inside that will make them laugh. Detective Murphy Murphy will win me over every time. Quirky, clever, and hilarious Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commision on Cliches is a must read for all.”- Danielle Urban

“There's a lot of humor around Murphy. He's kind of a stumble bum but he is endearing and dedicated. Finds layers or clues to unravel and the mysteries twist and turn keeping you turning the pages.”-Sherry,My Reading Journeys

“For me, the combination of the two elements—mystery and persiflage of the American vernacular—was greater that the sum total of its individual parts, and made it an enjoyable read. In other words: if the title intrigued you, you'll enjoy the book. Delightfully quirky.- Stephan Stuecklin, Amazon

“This book reminded me of some of the great detective stories, like Agatha's Christie's novels starring the great, quirky sleuth 'Poirot.' Keith Hirshland has written in that same vein—a compelling, funny, slightly eccentric detective for the ages. I would love to read more of Murphy's cases and more from the zany characters of his world.”-Amy C., Locks, Hooks, and Books

“This girl, who is used to reading good grammar, is driving herself crazy reading the wordplay or in this case, "the redundancies." clever humor and keen sense, I laughed out loud at the humor! I loved the characters too from the detective, to the bands, to the people Murphy Murphy interviewed. The author did a good job of making all of them have some quirkiness to them that just added to the book.”- Michelle, Reading Authors Network

“Murphy Murphy’s reaction to redundant phrases being used all around him had me laughing. Keith Hirshland is a fantastic storyteller. I thought I figured out who had stolen the band’s items and what had happened to the missing band member, but I was so wrong. The well-developed characters and his ability to weave a story together had me fooled.”-Lisa’s Writopia

Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches

Guest Review by Laura

“And now the existence of his familial lineage rested squarely on the shoulders of one intrepid detective, sitting in a two thousand dollar a night hotel room, gazing out over the Pacific Ocean. This particular Murphy Murphy.”

I have to be honest; I love wordplay. Nothing makes me laugh more than a well-executed pun. And because of that, this book was the perfect book for me. But,

because of that, I think Murphy Murphy and I would probably not get along too well in real life.

You see, Murphy Murphy is a detective who hates redundancies. It is sort of in his character. His name is a redundancy, but, of course, he didn't choose it. He is the newest (and, according to him, last) in a long line of Murphy Murphy men that have come before him. Every man in Murphy's family has been named Murphy Murphy. Not just the first-born male, but every single male.

Maybe this is why Murphy Murphy hates redundancies so much. He also hates cliches, which is why he knows that he is not going to enjoy solving the case of a

missing member of The Commission on Cliches when he gets a phone call about the man.

Murphy rolls his eyes at all of the cliches from the Commission member that phones him, but he agrees to take the case, if only to stop the man from talking.

The Commission on Cliches is also missing it; sacred text-- a book containing every cliché ever crafted.

Murphy will have to find both if he wishes to put this case to rest and move on with both his life and the Hollywood movie that is being made about his last case.

That case was from the first book in the series, and I remember laughing out loud a lot through that one, too.

I loved this book and laughed out loud many times while reading it. This is definitely a worthwhile read if you enjoy a fun mystery!

Award winning author, Keith Hirshland is an Emmy Award–winning sports television producer with more than three decades of experience producing shows that aired on ESPN and ESPN2. Among the first forty people to be hired by the Golf Channel in 1994. Cover Me Boys, I'm Going In: Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat is a memoir about his experiences in the television industry.

 It was recognized as Book talk Radio Clubs Memoir of the Year. Big Flies, his first mystery novel, was published in 2016 and is the recipient of the New Apple Awards “Solo Medalist Award. 

His fourth book was Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis, published by Beacon Publishing Group in 2020. Murphy Murphy was named Book talk Radio Club Book of the Year. Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches is his sixth book. ​Hirshland lives in Colorado with his wife, Sarah, and their two dogs. 

Website

 https://www.keithhirshland.com/ 

Twitter

 https://twitter.com/khhauthor 

Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/KeithHirshlandAuthor/ 

Instagram

 https://www.instagram.com/khhauthor/?hl=en

I invite you dear reader to read an interview with Keith Hirshian

Kathleen: Please tell us something about the book that is not in the summary. 

Keith: Thank you Kathleen for the opportunity to share with your readers a little

more about Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches. One of my favorite things about writing the Murphy Murphy books is how much I’ve

enjoyed discovering the multitude of redundancies and cliches in our language.

The list of each is impressive. The challenge then is to see how many I can incorporate into the book through names, dialogue, or chapter titles. My hope is to

make the reader think, then chuckle or maybe chuckle, then think. And, of course, an occasional laugh out loud is always encouraged. I’m lucky because I get to have

fun and learn a little something myself when I’m writing.

Kathleen: What inspirations do you draw from?

Keith: A great question Kathleen. I like to think I draw from a number of things including my personal experiences. Much of Murphy Murphy’s distaste for cliches comes from my working in television broadcasting. Working with announcers that

fall back on cliches has always been a pet peeve of mine.

 I constantly try to get them to break those bad habits. When it comes to characters I envision friends and

relatives and ascribe some of their characteristics to the fictional people in my books.

Kathleen: What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?

Keith: Another good question and I’ll start the answer by using that old cliche about asking me to pick which of my children is my favorite. I have many but the one I’ll choose here, without giving away too much, is the scene in which Judith goes on her first date with Luca. 

There is a running joke in the pages and chapters

that precede the date so the scene, I think, puts a nice little bow on what’s

happened before.

Kathleen: What are some of Murphy Murphys most horrifying redundancies and

cliches?

Keith: Gosh, again, so many from which to choose! I would say Murphy would say any adverb that is added to unique would be near the top. There are no degrees of uniqueness. Something is either unique or it isn’t. Also, he has a particular aversion to serious crisis (is there any other kind?), unexpected surprise, and final

outcome.

The cliches would have to include tough nut to crack, nutty as a fruitcake, and going to hell in a handbasket.

Kathleen: What draws you to this genre?  

Keith: I guess the simple answer ist hat it’s what I enjoy reading. I’m a huge fan of Michael Connelly, C. J. Box, Harlen Coben, and other great mystery writers. But

also can’t get enough of Jasper Fforde, Christopher Moore, and Richard Osman who are a bit more quirky in their approach to mysteries. My hope is I have an iota

of talent compared tot hem.

Kathleen: What are you currently working on?

Keith: Thanks for asking. Right now I’m at the early stages oft he third Detective Marc Allen mystery series. He’s been my detective in The Flower Girl Murder

and, most recently, Song Girl. But,

I have to admit in the back of my brain I am

putting together the building blocks for a third Murphy Murphy book in which my intrepid sleuth will team up with Claire Annette and her Pun Police. So, stay tuned.

Buy Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches by Keith Hirshland

Amazon Barnes&Noble Bookshop.org

Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches

This giveaway is for 3 print or ebook copies. Print is open to the U.S. only. eBook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on June26, 2024 midnight, pacific time.

 Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only. 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches Web Tour Schedule

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus

June 21

Guest Review-Mark

May 27

Linda Lu Goodreads

May 28

Leslie StoreyBook Reviews

May 29

Guest Review- Nora

Gud Reader Goodreads

May 30

Kathleen Celticlady’s Reviews

June 4

Guest Review- Laura  

Bookgirl Goodreads

June 5

Amy Locks, Hooks and Books

June 10

Denise D. Amazon & Goodreads

June 12

Becky Life as Rog

June 14

Mike Goodreads

June 18

Bee BookPleasures.com

June 19

Gracie Goodread

June 20

DT Chantel Amazon & Goodreads

June 24

Suzie

My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews 

June 25

Sal Goodread

June 26

 

Beautiful Namesake Golden Gate Billionaires Book 3 by Chloe del Rey Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours #GoldenGateBillionaires #99cents @chloe.del.rey

 They're richer than sin, hotter than hell's kitchen, and

 sweeter than a cinnamon roll. 

 

Beautiful Namesake

Golden Gate Billionaires Book 3

by Chloe del Rey

Genre

 Steamy Contemporary Billionaire Romance

He’s a hot billionaire. I’m a struggling wallflower. We have nothing in common…except our name.

Jameson “Jack” Carlton gets whatever he wants with a flash of his cocksure smile. And I'm just Jameson “JJ” Carlton, a shy barista working in his gleaming tower.

He’s fifteen years older and impossibly successful. We never should have crossed paths.

Then a simple mix-up reveals more than we bargained for.

Attraction. Coincidences.

Secrets.

Soon his ravenous eyes strip my layers bare, seeing straight through to my secret talents and hidden desires…

One molten heartbeat later, we’re tousling in thousand thread-count sheets.

I feel like a foreigner in his world of luxury and excess. But when he comes into mine, all hell breaks loose.

Because some secrets are etched in bloodlines.

His family’s music empire and my family’s working-class struggles are linked by a bond that shocks us both.

Being with Jack would devastate my family.

But if our relationship stays off-limits, my heart will go into freefall…

**New Release - Get it Now for Only .99cents!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Not My Billionaire Boyfriend

Golden Gate Billionaires Book 2

Challenging my biggest rival to a dating contest was all fun and games. Until I find out I’m sleeping with the enemy.

The dating app I built was the best in the business until an unlucky-in-love blogger ripped our reputation to shreds.

So I put my money where my mouth is: if she can’t find love using my app, I’ll give her a cool million.

I'll even play along.

We use fake identities to keep it fair. I’m a billionaire, after all.

It only takes one sheet-ripping date with a smart, sexy schoolteacher, and I know I’ve got this competition in the bag.

I’m falling. Hard.

But I haven’t told her who I really am, and she’s starting to suspect I have secrets.

Turns out, I’m not the only one who has to come clean…

The new woman of my dreams has been hiding something too.

Now, our fiery passion feels like mutually assured destruction.

Are we going down in flames, or have the games just begun?

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

My Bossy Billionaire Ex

Golden Gate Billionaires Book 1

My ex crushed my heart on our wedding day. Now he needs me to save his company?
Screw that.

I never got over Jonah Wright – surfer-turned-billionaire CEO, my first and only true love.

Between his sun-kissed beach body and brilliant mind, he lit me up like a sparkler.

But he shattered my heart at the altar, and I’ve been picking up the pieces ever since.

Now he’s the big shot billionaire on my campus, throwing money at my students and me to fix his broken project.

My ex and I go from tearing each other a new one to tearing each other’s clothes off.

Our chemistry is hotter than ever.

But I don't know if I can forgive the wounds of the past…

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

#Romancebooks #BillionaireRomance

 #ContemporaryRomance #Hotromance #books #readers

 #reading #booklovers #booktok #bookbuzz

#bookboost #BookPromo #AuthorPromo #BookBlogger #Bookstagram #bookish #bookclub

#MustRead #Writersofinstagram #AmReading #BookTour #Giveaway #writingcommunity

#readerscommunity 

Chloe del Rey works in the video game industry by day and dreams up smart, sexy, messy romances by night. Chloe lives in Northern California with her grumpy dog.

Sign up for the Rey of Sunshine newsletter and receive a free enemies to lovers romance!

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/lg22vxhi8t

Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a

 giveaway!

$10 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Game Master of Somerville : Somerville Mysteries, Book Two by A.J. Raven New Release Tour! @ninestarpress

 

Title:  The Game Master of Somerville

Series: Somerville Mysteries, Book Two

Author: A.J. Raven

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 06/04/2024

Heat Level: 1 - No Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 45100

Genre: Contemporary, Young adult, mystery, high school, basketball, video gaming, teen crush

Add to Goodreads

Description

Being handed another mystery about an escaped prisoner, teen wannabe-detective Jerry finds himself way over his head as kids around Somerville start disappearing and panic escalates. Is the escaped prisoner responsible for the kidnappings or is there some other sinister plan afoot?

The Game Master of Somerville

A.J. Raven © 2024

All Rights Reserved

“Jerry, when are you going to start doing it again?”

I tried not to roll my eyes for the umpteenth time. “Stop making me repeat myself,” I answered, trying to keep my voice calm as we walked through the school corridor to the chemistry lab. “What did you think I would continue doing?”

I already knew the response I was going to get. Ugh!

“I don’t know,” said my tall friend Justin, faking a shrug. “I thought you were going to continue solving cases, you know?”

Now I couldn’t help rolling my eyes at him. Enough was enough! Leave it to Justin to continue annoying me to do something that would get him attention. “Yes, you’re right, Justin!” I made sure he took in the irritated tone of my voice. “There’s a whole pool of unsolved cases out there just waiting for me to dive in!”

“Maaaaybe,” Justin sang. I shot him a look. He answered with a smile, brushing away a strand of his brown hair from his forehead. “Who knows? You can’t be sure unless you try.”

“You do realize it’s only been a couple of weeks since we solved the Devona case, right?”

I tried not to remember an incredibly weak Devona all tied up in a chair. Her blood being drawn by her captor with a syringe. If only I had figured it out a bit sooner. She would have lived—

“I know, I know.” Justin’s voice snaps me back to reality. We were outside the lab.

“Sure you do,” I said sarcastically, pushing my glasses back up my nose. Even though Justin had been annoying me for the past few weeks about solving more cases, in a way, I kind of appreciated his annoyance keeping me busy and stopping me from continuously remembering Devona’s face.

Justin took a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll give it a rest.”

“Thank you.” I faked a smile and mentally started to count down the time until Justin would bring up the same topic again. I entered the lab. The rest of the class was already there. I saw my childhood friend Ashley Burro-way, Ash for short, near one of the working stations. Her brown hair was tied up in a tight knot.

“Justin still wanting you to take on another case, Sherlock?” she asked with a smile, handing me a lab coat as I came closer.

I nodded, taking the coat from her. It took me a second to get accustomed to the smell of the chemicals all around me. I thought I was going to sneeze. But didn’t. Ash put on her safety goggles and opened her textbook. “If you ask me—” She looked straight at me. “—I don’t ever want to go through all of that again.”

“I hear you,” I said. Not knowing what else to say to her, I looked around. Justin was talking to some boys in our class. I knew the only reason Justin wanted me to take on another case was because he missed the attention it gave him. The moment the Somerville High newspaper published my story about solving the Devona case, the entire high school basically went wild. It was the first time the paper was read by the entire student body. The police did a good job when it came to keeping the local media away from me and my friends, but it was tough avoiding the sea of students and the faculty while at school.

Justin took the opportunity to break the ice with his crush, Lucy Broadway. My other friend, Nick Perez, enjoyed the attention, too, but not as much as his best friend, Justin, did. Ash had addressed the attention targeted at her by putting up a defensive air and simply avoided answering any of the questions she was asked about the case at school. The last member of our little group, Kate Williams, who already had an I-don’t-care attitude going on, did just that…just didn’t care. Due to the reputation she had already cemented, the students knew not to approach her unless she directly gave them permission to ask her a question.

The bombardment of questions I faced the day the paper was released was a lot to handle. “How did you figure it out? Did the police help you crack the case? What’s next?”

I answered the questions I could. And fortunately, like everything else in this world, interest dwindled and people started to talk about other stuff after a couple of days. Apparently the mystery-of-the-week plots occurring on the current famous TV shows were better than the real thing. None of us were affected by the dying attention except for Justin. On the fourth day, Justin shared his fear. According to him, Lucy was losing interest in him even though I told him it was just him being presumptuous, and he needed to work on his confidence. And frankly, let’s assume, if Lucy was indeed the kind of girl who only liked Justin because of the attention he was getting from the rest of the school, then she wasn’t the type of person he should be wasting his time with anyway.

Of course, Justin didn’t listen.

“Jerry, where are you?” Ash snapped her fingers in front of my eyes.

“Huh?” I blinked.

“Seriously, Jerry,” she said in a concerned voice. “You’re kind of spacing out more than usual. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I saw Ash purse her lips. I knew what she was going to say. Ever since the Devona case, Ash had been bringing up therapy. She wanted me to talk to a professional after what Tom did to me. Ugh! That name!

Thankfully, our chemistry teacher, Miss Ophilia Patience, walked into the laboratory and Ash, like the rest of the class, kept quiet. Miss Patience wasn’t the kind of instructor the students wanted to cross. She looked at the class. No one said anything. After giving a quick nod, she started writing on the board behind her.

I looked around the lab again and realized someone was missing. “Where’s Nick?” I asked Ash. Her gaze was on the board, copying every single word Miss Patience was writing. I noticed Justin looking back at us from a few workspaces ahead. He averted his gaze when we made direct eye contact. I wanted to bet a hundred dollars he thought Ash and I were talking about taking up another case without telling him.

It took a few seconds for Ash to respond as she continued scribbling. “Don’t know.”

Weird, I thought. It wasn’t like Nick to miss class without telling us. Even if he did skip class, he and Justin always did it together. I tried not to think about it too much and looked at what Miss Patience was writing on the board.

Surprise! It was boring.

Time dragged on as Miss Patience talked about ways to influence chemical reactions. As far as I could tell, heating different materials up seemed to do the trick for a lot of them. Want to see something change? Try heating up the molecules!

And speaking of things heating up, I guess the same thing was going to come true for me and my friends soon enough. There was no way we could’ve avoided what was coming for us. But at that time, in the chem lab, with Ash busy writing notes next to me, none of us had the faintest idea about the domino effect that had already begun. I do sometimes wonder about what I could’ve done if I had known more back then.

Hidden myself in my house? Not talk to anyone ever? Resigned from my position as a contributor at the school’s newspaper?

But wondering about such possibilities didn’t matter anymore.

What was done was done.

#bookaddiction #bookshelf #mustread #instabook #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecs #newbook #readersofinsta #tbrpile #whattoread #newbook #weekendreads #contemporary #BookPassion #DiverseReads #LiteraryFiction #Fiction #mystery #ya

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

A.J. Raven is an author who likes to write mysteries with queer characters. He likes exploring leads that have a lot to learn and aren’t perfect; they will make mistakes. So, bear with them. 

You can find A.J. on  Twitter

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a $50.00 NineStar Press Gift Code! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On the Horns of Death by Eleanor Kuhns May 20 - June 14, 2024 Virtual Book Tour! a print edition of ON THE HORNS OF DEATH by Eleanor Kuhns and a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card.

 

An Ancient Crete Mystery

Ancient Crete, 1450 BC. When young bull leaper Martis finds Duzi, the newest member of the bull leaping team, dead in the bull pen early one morning. Made to look like he met his end on the horns of the bull, it's clear to Martis that this was no accident . . .

Martis once again finds herself thrown into a dangerous game of hunting down a murderer as the deaths start to mount. An old friend of Martis' sister, and possible lover to Duzi, is the next person to be found dead, and Martis' investigations lead her to believe love and jealousy are at the heart of these crimes against the Goddess.

Is someone targeting the bull leaping community? Or is there something else at play? With only the Shade of her sister Arge to confide in, Martis struggles to untangle the growing web of secrets which stretch around her.

Praise for On the Horns of Death:

"A clever, feisty, likable heroine, vivid descriptions of life in ancient Crete, and a complex murder make this a good pick for historical-mystery fans"
~ Booklist

"A wealth of historical detail"
~ Kirkus Reviews

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mystery
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Number of Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781448310890 (ISBN10: 144831089X)
Series: An Ancient Crete Mystery #2
Book Links                                                                                            Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Severn House

Read an excerpt:

One

Late again, I hurried down the stony slope into the caves under Knossos. Even from the top of the twisty path, I could hear the grunting and the nervous kicking of cage walls by agitated bulls. I increased my pace despite the slippery footing. I could smell the thick coppery scent of blood, far more intense than the usual odor of damp rock. Why was there blood? Something terrible was happening.

The oil lamps in the center of the cave cast a dim smoky light, but there were several, enough to see by. Although all the bulls were restless, most of the bull leapers were crowded around the foremost pen. ‘What’s going on?’ I asked Arphaia and Obelix as I reached the stone floor. Arphaia and Obelix had helped fill the hole left by the loss of my sisters.

Arphaia rolled her eyes at me and shrugged. ‘Don’t know.’ A short, sturdy girl, her skin was the color of ripe figs. Obelix was taller and paler and so slim she looked like a boy from the back. Like me, they’d tied their hair back into braids. ‘I’m busy here,’ Arphaia continued. She was helping Obelix pull her skirt over her loincloth, and I guessed the older girl had unexpectedly gotten her monthly. It was always an inconvenience for us women on the team.

‘Can I help?’

Arphaia shook her head. Glad to be excused – I was burning with curiosity – I hurried across the stone floor toward the cluster of older bull dancers by the cage. Ready for the upcoming ceremony, they wore only loincloths and boots.

‘Something upset the bulls,’ Geos said with a frown, running a hand over his bald head. He had trained all of us.

‘Especially the bull chosen for sacrifice . . .’ Elemon glanced anxiously at the pen. He was the most experienced of us but a recent injury had left him skittish.

I dropped my metal belt on the floor with a clatter and went to join the team. The bull in the pen was white – a pure white like the foam that came ashore from the sea. The largest and strongest of them all, he’d been chosen for our performance at the Harvest Festival today. After the six days of the celebration, he would be sacrificed to the Goddess. Other sacrifices would be made through out to the Dying God to thank him for the grape harvest, and the wine he’d taught us how to make. But this bull, the greatest of all, would be sacrificed last.

I approached the pen. The strikes against the wooden planks had loosened several. I tried to squeeze into the throng at the front, but no one would move away to let me through. I went around to the side and peered through a crack.

The white bull was trotting around the pen, lashing his tail, kicking up his front feet and grunting angrily. But he did not come near this side. Hmm. Why not? I crouched down to peer through a larger gap at the bottom.

And there, right in front of me, was the body of a man. I gasped and fell back. ‘Geos,’ I said in a trembling voice. When he did not hear me, I raised my voice. ‘Geos.’

‘What, Martis?’ He sounded harried.

‘Come here. There is a body inside the pen.’

‘What? Who is it?’

‘I don’t know.’ I shook my head. I hadn’t wanted to look. The body appeared to have been both gored and trampled by the bull. ‘I think this is why the bull is so nervous . . .’

Geos came around the corner. Although, at sixteen, I stood taller than him by several inches, now he stared down at me sitting on the rock floor.

‘Are you sure?’ He sounded disbelieving. ‘Why would anyone join a bull in the pen? These are not tame animals.’

‘I don’t know.’ I scooted backwards so he could crouch down beside me. Groaning, he lowered himself first to one knee and then to the other. Cautiously, using both hands, he collapsed to a sitting position. From there, he looked through the breach between the weathered wooden boards.

‘By the Goddess,’ he muttered, ‘you’re right. How could this happen!’ He struggled to rise. ‘We’ve got to get that body out of there. None of the bulls will settle . . .’

Turning, Geos shouted at the other bull dancers. ‘One of you, go find Tinos.’

As the High Priestess’s consort and the wanax who served as the chief administrator of Knossos and its environs, Tinos would be responsible for investigating this tragedy.

I rose shakily to my feet and peered into the pen next to the one occupied by the white auroch. This one was empty. Glad to have a problem to focus on, I said, ‘Maybe we can put the bull in here. And this wall’ – I gestured to the partition we’d been looking through – ‘is already damaged.’

Geos glanced into the empty pen and then turned his gaze on the battered fence. ‘Perhaps. But first we need to pull the body out. Once that is gone, maybe the bull will settle down.’

By now, the other bull dancers had joined us. Elemon shouldered me out of the way. ‘The boards are already damaged,’ he said. ‘Maybe we can pull them away and slide the body through.’

Geos nodded and his eyes shifted to the pen behind me. ‘We can take some of those pieces and use them to barricade the hole afterwards.’ As Elemon wrenched the boards away from the cage bottom, Tryphone grabbed the victim’s arm to pull him through. After a few seconds of futile struggle, Thaos, one of the other men, knelt down to help him. The body awkwardly inched forward.

I could barely watch. I could see that several bones were shattered and his arms flopped limply behind him.

Once he was free, we bustled around gathering wooden planks to place over the gap. I didn’t believe the bull could escape through the narrow opening at the bottom, but we covered it, nonetheless. No one wanted an angry animal charging around the caves, and he was still not settling down. Of course, the smell of blood hung heavily in the air.

‘What happened?’ Arphaia asked as she and Obelix approached us.

Before Geos could reply, excited chatter from the youngest of our team – all still congregated at the entrance to the arena – distracted us. Geos hurried around the pen, the rest of us following. Tinos had arrived. He was clad in a long robe banded with diagonal stripes of red and blue and wore his ceremonial knife on the belt around his waist. Apparently, he’d been pulled away from an important ritual. ‘What happened?’ he asked. ‘He’ – gesturing to Curgis – ‘told me you discovered a body in the bull’s pen?’

‘That’s right,’ Geos said. ‘I sent him to you.’

In his formal clothing, Tinos seemed older and much more serious than the man I knew and liked. ‘Show me,’ he said.

Geos glared at the kids. ‘Stay here,’ he said firmly. ‘This is not something any of you should see.’

Thirteen-year-old Costi curled his lip mutinously but didn’t argue.

‘I’ll watch them,’ Obelix offered. She was quite pale.

Arphaia glanced at her. ‘We both will,’ she said.

I did not offer. Although I did not want to look at the body, I did want to be near Tinos. I quickly joined the line of bull dancers following him and Geos to the side of the bull pen.

Tinos stared at the battered and bloodied remains on the floor for several seconds and heaved a sigh. ‘Who discovered the body?’ he asked.

‘Martis,’ Geos said.

Tinos shot me a look from under his thick black eyebrows. This was not the first time I had witnessed a violent death. ‘Of course, it would be,’ he said.

‘I could smell the blood when I got here,’ I said, rushing into speech. ‘And the bull was angry and upset. They’ – and I gestured to Elemon and Tryphone – ‘were here by the pen.’

Tinos glanced at the bull dancers, and then his gaze flicked to the pen where the white bull could be heard snorting and shuffling. ‘I see.’ He turned to Geos. ‘That white bull can’t be used in the ceremonies now.’

‘I know,’ Geos agreed. ‘He’s been tainted. But we have a few others.’ He pointed to the pens at the back of the cave. ‘Backups. The second choice is black, though. Not white.’

Tinos nodded. ‘He will have to be the one. A bull that murdered a man is no fit sacrifice to the Goddess.’

I thought of all the bull leapers who’d been gored or trampled by a bull during the ceremony and wondered why a wounding or a death in the course of a performance was acceptable to the Goddess. Because this had not happened during the Goddess-sanctioned ritual?

‘What possessed him to enter the cage?’ Tinos wondered aloud, pushing his hair to the back. When no one replied to what was clearly a question without an answer, he asked, ‘Does anyone recognize him?’

‘I don’t think any of us really examined him,’ Geos admitted apologetically.

Tinos raised his brows and looked around at us. Thaos and Curgis, the newer bull dancers, shook their heads and backed away. I refused to show such weakness in front of Tinos – I did not want him to think less of me – so I steeled myself and stared down at the body. Elemon cut through the crowd and joined me.

It was difficult to recognize the victim through the blood and the bruising. I thought his skin was naturally darker than the fair Elemon, but I couldn’t be sure. Finally, Elemon shook his head and stepped away to join the others. I continued staring at the body a few seconds longer – not at the face, but at the kilt around his hips. We all wore loincloths during the bull dancing. It was necessary to move freely, and we did not wear clothing like a long skirt that would catch on the horns. The victim’s garment was subtly different, longer and decorated with blue stripes.

‘I know who that is,’ I said, my voice breaking. ‘It’s Duzi.’

Two

‘Duzi?’ Geos said, staring at me in shock. ‘Are you sure?’ He too spoke softly so the others could not hear.

I nodded, too shaken to speak. I’d first seen Duzi a few weeks ago. Although my mother did not want me visiting the docks, insisting it was too dangerous, I still occasionally went. I counted Tetis, an Egyptian prostitute who worked there, as my friend. That time, as we were talking, Tetis stopped mid-word and stared over my shoulder. I turned to look.

Several Cretan sailors manhandled a prisoner off one of the slim naval ships. His heavy black beard, stretching all the way down his chest, and the battered bronze helmet with a spike in the center marked him as a foreigner. ‘A pirate,’ Tetis said with dislike. ‘More and more of them harass Egypt.’

By the time Duzi joined the bull leapers a week later, the helmet was gone and the beard shaved away. But the kilt girding his hips was the same one he wore now.

‘Who’s Duzi?’ Tinos asked, keeping his voice low so he could not be overheard.

‘A volunteer for the bull leapers—’ Geos began.

‘The navy brought him here,’ I said at the same time. ‘I saw them take him off a ship.’ My voice trembled, and Tinos raised his eyebrows at my emotion.

‘Ah. The pirate,’ he said. He knew my mother did not want me visiting the docks. But he didn’t scold me. Not this time anyway. ‘Did you know him well?’ I shook my head.

‘A pirate?’ Geos repeated incredulously, staring at Tinos. Crete had probably the best navy in the world; our cities and towns suffered little from the depredations of pirates.

‘Egypt asked for our help,’ Tinos explained. ‘The seafarers from the east – they target those rich cities of the Black Lands, and the cargo ships that trade with us.’

‘But they don’t dare attack us,’ Geos said in satisfaction.

‘Only once in a while,’ Tinos agreed with a smile. He turned and looked at the tunnel that led to the arena. Although he couldn’t see anything in the gloom, he said, ‘It must be time for the bull dancing and time for me to meet the High Priestess. On the way, I’ll tell the bull handlers that we won’t be using the white bull and they should take out the black one instead.’ He glanced first at Geos and then at the rest of us. ‘Please, don’t gossip about this tragedy. We don’t know what happened . . .’

I sneaked a look at Elemon and the others. They didn’t seem to realize the victim was Duzi – one of us.

Geos nodded. ‘I don’t want the kids to know either,’ he agreed. ‘Not until after the performance, at least. It’s dangerous enough as it is, without distraction. What possessed the young fool to go into the pen?’

‘And please, can we cover him up?’ Tinos added as he turned away.

‘Cover him with what?’ Geos muttered as Tinos disappeared into the tunnel. I looked around. All the bull leapers except for Obelix and me were clad in loincloths, and I was the only one wearing a jacket and a linen blouse as well as a skirt. At sixteen, I felt awkward running through the town half-naked so I covered my loincloth with street clothes. I slipped off the skirt and held it out to Geos. Although the skirt was an old one, and both faded and shabby, I wore it often. I would not be happy if Duzi’s blood stained it and made it unwearable. But right now, I didn’t see what else I could do.

Geos nodded his thanks and draped the garment over Duzi’s face. ‘And what am I supposed to do about bull leapers,’ the old man grumbled. ‘Half the team is too young and untried – still basically children.’

I knew Geos did not like sending me in. Geos and my grandfather had been close friends and although we honored the Goddess with the dance, it was dangerous. Injuries and, yes, deaths were common. Geos didn’t want to see me hurt. That was why he had been so ready to accept Duzi into our ranks. The barbarian was untried but also strong and lithe. He learned the acrobatics quickly. Geos had had high hopes for him.

I guessed today I would leap over the bull’s back more than a few times. Although we numbered thirteen without Duzi, we were only nine once the youngest – Costi, Nub and the twins – were taken out.

I dropped my linen blouse and jacket on the belt, stripped the bangles from my arms and ran my fingers through my hair to remove the hair clips and ropes of beads. Automatically, I dropped them on my clothing. But I did not join the line of bull dancers waiting to parade into the arena. Instead, I returned to the body. Poor Duzi. At least the protection of my skirt offered him some dignity. I shifted it to cover his face more thoroughly and saw to my dismay that the cloth was already stained. I doubted the marks would ever wash out. But with the blood wiped away, the wounds on Duzi’s face and chest were now more easily seen. There was something odd . . . As I bent over the body to get a closer look, Geos shouted at me.

‘Martis! What are you doing? Come on. We have to go. We’re late already.’

I jumped. ‘Coming.’ I quickly squeezed in between Arphaia and Thaos. After a growth spurt this past summer, I no longer stood at the front but in the middle.

Although it was not yet raining, the sky was overcast and the air was cool. The hot dry summer had ended, and we were moving into the cooler, wetter autumn. In another week or so, the farmers would begin sowing the wheat and barley in the fields.

But today, and for the next few days, we celebrated the grape harvest.

We were a somber group that paraded around the arena, entertaining the crowd with handstands and somersaults. As we queued up at one end of the space, and I looked at my teammates forcing smiles as they waved at the audience, I wondered how they would behave if they knew who lay dead in the bull’s pen.

With a self-conscious grimace, Obelix removed her skirt.

Flowers rained down upon us – but not the brightly colored blooms of spring. Mostly narcissi and crocus bloomed now, so we were showered in yellow and purple.

A few moments later, the bull handlers released the animal into the arena. The black auroch, although not a small animal, appeared smaller to me than the white bull. But this one also seemed more energetic. He snorted and pawed the ground in the middle of the arena, watching us with his shiny black eyes.

Elemon nervously touched the thick ropy scar that twined around his torso. He’d finally recovered from the wound sustained in a ceremony seven or so months ago, but it had been a difficult convalescence.

Tinos, still in his long robe, leaned forward, his face twisted with sympathy. He was a former bull leaper himself and wore a scar almost identical to Elemon’s around his waist.

Tryphone took up his position. He was two or three years older than I was and almost as dark as Duzi. Tryphone had come to Knossos from a town on the eastern side of Crete. I don’t think any of us knew why he’d left Gortnya and traveled east. But Geos had been overjoyed to discover Tryphone was already an experienced bull leaper.

At Geos’s nod, Arphaia moved around to the rear of the bull where she would catch us as we dismounted. Geos usually chose her as the catcher; a farmer’s girl, she was cautious but not afraid of the beast. But she was graceless as an acrobat. Short and stiff, her flips over the bull’s horns usually dropped her right behind the beast’s head in a clumsy sitting position.

Geos looked up at the High Priestess. As usual, she did not smile, and her expression was as rigid as a statue’s. Her obsidian-dark eyes flicked over us, and then she nodded. Geos gestured at Tryphone. He moved forward.

His bronzed arms reached out to grasp the bull’s horns, and his legs lifted up until I could see the soles of his boots. He used the momentum from the bull’s head toss to flip over, landing easily on the bull’s black back. With a salute and a bow to the High Priestess, Tryphone jumped down, barely touching Arphaia’s hand for balance.

Since Obelix and Thaos would jump after Elemon, who had just stepped forward for his performance, I allowed my mind to wander. Wondering what exactly Duzi had been doing in the bull’s pen was so much easier than imagining his fear as the bull charged. I recalled the drying streaks of blood; he had not died much before the arrival of us bull dancers. Of course, that did not tell me when he might have gone into the bull’s pen. Or how long he had been inside suffering the bull’s attacks.

My mind went reluctantly to my last sight of the body. Something bothered me about the wounds. I knew what the injuries caused by a bull’s horns and hooves looked like; during the last year, I’d seen more than I cared to. The blunted horns left craters and long gashes in human flesh. And the battering left by the monstrous hooves was especially memorable; the power and the weight of the bull resulted in large bruises and broken bones. But there was something—

‘Martis!’ Geos’s voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts. ‘What is the matter with you?’ Coming out of my deep thought, I blinked at him. He gestured at the bull standing in the middle of the arena. I gulped. I usually spent a few minutes mentally preparing myself for the run across the sand, the careful stretch out to grasp the bull’s horns and finally the leap up and over. ‘Go,’ Geos said impatiently.

***

Excerpt from On the Horns of Death by Eleanor Kuhns. Copyright 2024 by Eleanor Kuhns. Reproduced with permission from Eleanor Kuhns. All rights reserved.

Eleanor Kuhns is a previous winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel competition for A Simple Murder. The author of eleven Will Rees mysteries, she is now a full-time writer after a successful career as the Assistant Director at the Goshen Public Library in Orange County, New York.

Catch Up With Eleanor Kuhns:
www.eleanor-kuhns.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram - @edl0829
Twitter/X - @EleanorKuhns
Facebook - @writerkuhns

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

Don't Miss Out! Enter Now for Your Chance to Win!

A print edition of ON THE HORNS OF DEATH by Eleanor Kuhns and a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card. 

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Eleanor Kuhns. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited. Ends July

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

The Sorcerer’s Daughter Five Towers Book 1 by Michelle Miles Release Blitz! @SilverDaggerBookTours @MichelleMilesAuthor

 A sorceress with no magic. A stolen crystal that holds

 the key to her future. 

And in a court of royals…a treacherous fate she can’t

 escape.  

The Sorcerer’s Daughter

Five Towers Book 1

by Michelle Miles

Genre

 YA Fantasy

A sorceress with no magic.

A stolen crystal that holds the key to her future.

And in a court of royals…a treacherous fate she can’t escape.

Seventeen-year-old Violet Winthrope is destined to marry a nobleman, if her father has anything to say about it, and he usually does. But Violet yearns for more out of life than being a wife and mother. She dreams of being a powerful sorceress.

The problem is she has no magic.

Until the day she stumbles upon a fragment of a crystal that appears to have stars inside. Enthralled, Violet is compelled to steal it from her father’s study and keeps it hidden on her person.

When her father is suddenly called to court as the king’s Royal Sorcerer, he packs her up and heads to the castle. Nothing has prepared her for the treachery, machinations, and deceptions thrown at her in the royal court.

And when the crystal she’s been hiding suddenly springs to life, responding to her every emotion, Violet's dreams of becoming a powerful sorceress seems to be within her grasp. Or will her ultimate power prove to be her ultimate destruction?

★★★★★ “I’ve never read a fairy tale like this book. I like what this story portrays and signifies. It kept me captivated and riveting until the final page.” —BookSprout Reviewer

★★★★★ “So many twists and turns – love the characters and the story line!” —BookSprout Reviewer

**Only .99cents!**

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords *

Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

#YaFantasy #Yabooks #Fantasybooks #Magic #Fairytale #99cents #OnSale #TheSorcerersDaughter #books #readers #reading #booklovers #booktok #bookbuzz #bookboost #BookPromo #AuthorPromo  #BookBlogger #Bookstagram #bookish #bookclub #MustRead #Writersofinstagram #AmReading #BookTour #Giveaway #writingcommunity #readerscommunity 

MICHELLE MILES believes in fairy tales, true love, and magic. She writes heart-stopping urban fantasy, young adult and adult fantasy, and paranormal romance with an action/adventure twist that will leave you breathless. She is the author of numerous series that includes everything from angels and demons to fairies, dragons, and elves.

She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA). A native Texan, in her spare time she loves reading, listening to music, watching movies, hiking, and drinking wine. She can be found online at Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and more!

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the blitz HERE for special content and a giveaway!

 $10 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner, 

ebook of The Sorcerer’s Daughter – 2 winners!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Loving Lizzy by Cassie Colton Visit @cassiecoltonauthor and click the link in her bio to grab your copy!

 

Title

 Loving Lizzy 

Author

Cassie Colton 

Genre

 Contemporary Romance/ Medical Romance 

Release Date

 June 4, 2024 

Hosted by

 Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

Pediatric doctor Michael Harris embarks on a humanitarian mission, only to be kidnapped by rebels, leaving his pregnant wife, Elizabeth, to face the challenges that unfold in his absence. As Elizabeth gives birth to their son Conner while Michael is held captive, tragedy strikes when Conner succumbs to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome four weeks later.

Enduring the pain of her husband's captivity and the loss of their son alone, Elizabeth is shocked when she receives a call from her doctor with a devastating diagnosis: breast cancer. Fearing the possibility of history repeating itself, as Michael had witnessed his mother's battle with the same disease, Elizabeth decides to face this battle on her own.

When Michael finally reunites with the woman he loves, he is determined to convince her to fight for herself and their future together. Will Michael be able to break through the walls Elizabeth has built around herself and inspire her to join him in the fight for their shared happiness?

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | 

Tears fell from her face, smearing her perfectly made-up persona. He took her hand and led her to the couch. After searching the disorganized condo, for Lizzy’s standards, for tissues, he finally brought out a roll of toilet paper. He picked up the papers and set them beside him as he picked her up and sat her on his lap.

“Is it another man?” he asked softly. Afraid if she said yes, he’d lose it, yet needing to know. His OCD ex-wife was off her game, and he wasn’t leaving until he knew the truth. His hand automatically swiped the tear running down her cheek as her eyes remained fixed on the documents. Lizzy stroked along his jaw as she shook her head. 

“I’d never do that to you.”

“But you don’t want to see me anymore. What isn’t working?”

 He held the makeshift tissue while she blew her nose. He noticed the paleness of her face and the dark circles under her eyes as they flitted to the items beside him. Michael’s gaze followed hers and landed on the pages. His eyes glossed over the words and stopped at “breast cancer.” He swallowed down the lump in his throat as he faced her. “Are you sick?”

 His heart raced as he watched her startled gaze meet his. Her silence confirmed his fear. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered. 

She rose up from his lap and walked across the room. Her hand fiddled with the longer strands of hair on the back of her neck from her pixie cut.

 “I didn’t plan on telling you. I intend to face this alone. I don’t want you to stay, especially now.” she whispered as if she didn’t want to say the words aloud.

Cassie Colton is a best-selling and award-winning author of romantic suspense, military, and contemporary romance. Always an avid book reader and storyteller, she worked for one of the happiest places on earth. There, she found her love for making magic and happily ever afters.

The Serenity Mountain Series begins her author journey, detailing the lives of former military men and women who have lost their way and found peace on Serenity Mountain. Like in every story, her characters have to fight through adversity to find happiness ever after.

Like life, Cassie writes about character struggles that sometimes become dark before they see the light, but she always provides a happy ending. She believes everyone deserves to find happiness and love because it is the only thing worth fighting for.

She now lives in Virginia with her wonderful family and service dog, Leia. She enjoys gardening, flowers, cooking, and learning about beekeeping.