I’m Lisa Wellman. I love reading. I’m a former librarian, now a hopeful book shop partner and mystery writer.
So we’re two weeks before the Canterville Book Shop opens in Olde Town, Portsmouth, Virginia, and there’s a dead man on the roof.
I can handle buying books, figuring out how to help our customers, and everything else my partner, Simon Canterville, doesn’t understand. But how do I handle a dead man on the roof – especially when it’s Ebenezer Hart – the man who was fighting to keep Simon from opening our book shop?
And who is the police detective they send out to investigate? My ex-husband – Daniel Fairhaven. We were only together for six months twelve years ago. I hate to admit it but when I saw him my heart went zing like it used to.
Please! Not now! It didn’t work twelve years ago and nothing has changed.
Six weeks until Christmas and everything is falling apart. How could things get any worse?
Never ask that question. You might wake up with the ghost of Charles Dickens in your bedroom. Ugh. I don’t know who is worse – Daniel or Dickens – both of them scares me.
Lucky I’m a budding mystery writer so I can figure this whole thing out. After dozens of classes, conferences, and workshops, I must know as much about solving a murder as Daniel, right?
You can read more about Lisa in A Dickens Of A Murder, the first book in the NEW “Canterville Book Shop” mystery series, published by J Lavene.
About A Dickens Of A Murder
Lisa Wellman and Simon Canterville are surprised to find a dead man on their roof in the midst of rushing to open the Canterville Book Shop in time for the holidays. And not just any dead man – Ebenezer Hart – the man who opposed the book shop opening in Olde Town, Portsmouth, Virginia.
What might be more surprising is when Daniel Fairhaven – Lisa’s ex – turns up at the door of the three-story Victorian house to head the police investigation. She hasn’t seen him in years but the sparks start to fly as soon as they are in the same room together.
Simon and Lisa are obviously the best suspects for the murder. Each of them had something to gain by Hart’s death. Then an attempt on Simon’s life throws that theory into a tailspin.
But the biggest surprise yet comes when the ghost of Charles Dickens turns up to help Lisa with the murder investigation – and writing the mystery novel she has been working on for years.
Without a doubt, Daniel and Dickens in Lisa’s life means trouble. And there’s still the matter of trying to get the book shop open with a killer on their heels.
# # # # # # # # # # #
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 a.m. eastern on November 11 for your chance to win a print copy of A Dickens Of A Murder. (US entries only, please.) Good luck everyone!
About the author
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery and urban fantasy fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. Their first mystery novel, Last Dance, won the Master’s Choice Award for best first mystery novel in 1999. Their romance, Flowers in the Night, was nominated for the Frankfurt Book Award in 2000.
They have written and published more than 70 novels that are sold worldwide for Harlequin, Penguin, Amazon, and Simon and Schuster. They have also published hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in Midland, North Carolina with their family and their rescue pets—Rudi, Stan Lee, and Quincy.
Visit them at: www.joyceandjimlavene.com, on Amazon, on Facebook and on Twitter
would love to win love their books
Thanks, nice of you to enter.
Great post. Thanks for the chance to win this entry in another great series by the Lavene’s.
Thanks for entering and the compliment.
looks really good, thanks for the chance 🙂
Thanks for entering, Lisa.
A Dickens Of A Murder is on my TBR list, and I love the cover art. Thank you for the giveaway.
myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for hosting this, Dru. Great job. Hugs. Jim Lavene
Thanks Jim. I smile and remember because Joyce wrote this.
Thanks for putting us on your TBR list and for entering the contest.
Sounds great!
I love settings in a bookstore. Thanks for a chance to enter.
Thanks for stopping by and entering.
I love all of their series.
We appreciate that.
I’m a retired librarian so I love to read books with librarians in them – and a new series. Great to start at the beginning. thanks.
We’ve always loved our librarians.
Sounds intriguing! Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
Thanks for stopping by.
Sounds great , I love bookstore stories
We love bookstores too.
I’ve never read a book written the Jim and Joyce Lavene that I didn’t enjoy. Thank you for the chance to win a print copy of A Dickens of a Murder. 🙂
Thank you for the nice compliment.
Thanks for a chance to win, this is my kind of book.
I love the premise of this one by Joyce and Jim Lavene. Thanks for the giveaway!
I would love to read this it sounds fantastic. The Joyce and Jim Lavene combination writes some great books. Thanks for the contest.
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
My bet is on the mystery writer!
It will be interesting to see the chemistry between the exes.
Sometimes pretty hot.
another christmas book, love mysteries at this time of year. Also love this authors reading. Sounds like a great book and would love to win
Thanks for entering.
Joyce and Jim Lavene are two very talented individuals who appreciate their readers. This new book/series is sure to be one I will want to follow for sure. robeader53@yahoo.com
Thank you.
I don’t know how they do it, but I love the these authors. Thanks for the giveaway.
We love what we do and can’t stop doing it.I
Dead man on the roof is a new twist–can’t wait to read this.
He tried to get a raise.
I’ve just read my first book by Joyce Lavene and have started on the 2nd one in the Taxi Cab for the Dead series. Love reading mysteries and have enjoyed her books so far.
Thank you.
It would be such a thrill to win this first in a new series. Thank you and heartfelt hugs to Jim and Jeni and all your family as you carry on.
We appreciate it.
This sounds like a wonderful book. I would love to get the chance to win a copy of it! I’ve read Jim and Joyce’s Biscuit Bowl series and absolutely loved it. Hoping to catch up on the rest of their books soon.
Thanks.
Thanks for this captivating feature and giveaway.
This sounds like a delightful cozy. An ex can always cause such trouble in an investigation. Joyce is going to be missed so much in the cozy world. Thanks for the giveaway.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
The family is coming together to finish the works already in progress and continue her tradition.
Yes please Dru, add my name to the drawing. I’d love to add another book by the J’s to my home library.
I have read so many of your mysteries and this sounds very exciting and different, and, intriguing premise. So sorry to hear about Joyce’s passing. What a great team! Thanks for the giveaway.
She would’ve been glad to hear you say that.
Always great to see new work from the prolific Lavenes. All our best to you Jim at this difficult time.
Thanks for your appreciation of our work. We are doing as well as can be expected at this time. We are trying to get everything done and will try to continue with Joyce’s legacy.
Thanks for the awesome giveaway. I’m anxious to read this book!
Your books are always entertaining.
I hope you are coping at this time of traumatic adjustment.
A Dickens of a Murder certainly sounds like a fun read; thanks for the opportunity to win.📖📚
Sounds like a delightful read. Thanks for the giveaway, Dru and Jim.
My pleasure.
As a fan of Joyce and Jim Lavene I downloaded this but would love the actual book. A book about a Bookshop who could resist. I’ve read how much Joyce enjoyed this book and know how proud she’d be of you and Jeni..Hoping for lots more books to follow. in this series.
Thanks for your continued support.
Yippee, books, a ghost and a murder from 2 of my favorite authors. I’m sure going to miss Joyce aND her stories.
Me too. We always enjoyed hearing from all of you.
Enjoy the Lavene books and I love Christmas. I can’t go wrong. Count me in.
Thank you Dru and Jim for introducing me to this debut. I appreciate the chance at the give-a-way. Great big cozy (((HUGS))) to you Jim…Joyce is very much missed.
Hugs are always a good thing.
I have not had the pleasure of reading any of your books yet, but would love to start and appreciate the giveaway. You are in my thoughts and prayers~
A dead man on the roof – now I don’t want to get up on the ladder and clean out the gutters! Love your books. HUGS from all of us who miss Joyce.
We appreciate it.
Book store, a cat, Christmas…you can’t go wrong. Thanks for the chance to win. Hugs to you, so sorry for your loss.
I love, love, love all the awesome books by the awesome team of Joyce & Jim and am so excited to read this new one!!! Sounds just purr-fect for the holidays!!! Love all books involving kitties….they are soooo super duper purr-fect to read!!! Thank you so very much for the chance to win!!!! My deepest sympathies to you dearest Jim Lavene on the loss of your precious Joyce! When I read any of your awesome books now, they seem so much more precious to me thinking of her and your loss!!! God bless you!!! Love and hugs to you and thanks so much for the awesome books you both have written over the years!!! Joyce has left a beautiful legacy behind!!!!
Sounds like a good read. Would like a good Christmas story to read before Christmas.
Thanks, Beverly. We really enjoy writing these books. My family and I will continue to put out more books that Joyce had laid out for us and continue her legacy. We really appreciate you. Joyce and I love our fans. You are special to our family as well.
Sounds like a good Christmas mystery.
Will be adding this to the top of my TBR list!
Thank you for the giveaway chance.
Book sounds great!
This sounds like another great series – they are all such fun reads. And I can’t get enough of Christmas mysteries.
Thanks for stopping by.
Can’t wait to read this. It sounds like FUN!
To Jim, I was so sorry to learn of your sudden loss recently. Please know that your readers that are aware of this are so saddened. I hope that somehow you will be able to carry on and continue with the wonderful books that your fans have enjoyed so very much over the years. It would be a great gift to become the recipient of this particular book that Joyce had a part in writing with you. A lovely gift for sure. Thank you..
Sincerely, Cynthia E. Blain
Cynthia,
Thank you for you condolences. We are going to try to carry on with Joyce’s legacy. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating, there isn’t a Joyce and Jim Lavene I haven’t liked. I’m always excited when I know a new book is coming because it will be an enjoyable read. I was so very sad to hear about Joyce’s death. What a lovely lady who will be missed so very much. My prayers go out to all the Lavenes who are carrying on her legacy.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate it.
I’m really looking forward to reading this one. Very sorry over the loss of Joyce. Keeping you all in my thoughts.
We appreciate that. And we keep all of you in ours.
I am so very sorry to hear Joyce passed. You both have given us so many wonderful books. I look forward to reading (and rereading) your books
Thank you. I hope you still enjoy them on the reread.
I love your books and especially Christmas!! I have lots of paperback books by you and Joyce.
Thanks for reading our books. It is special to us that you enjoyed them.
Can’t wait to meet Lisa–a hopeful bookseller! What a great description! Thanks for the chance to win!
Lisa can’t wait to meet you as well. Happy holidays.
I’m looking forward to reading this for the holiday season.
Hope you enjoy your holiday season.
I’d love to win this book. Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by.
I read all their books.
Lisa certainly sounds like an interesting character. Can’t wait to learn more about her and whatever she may get up to. Thanks for the chance to win.
Thank you for reading our books. It is a pleasure to know this. Thanks for leaving a comment so I can till my children.
I’ve loved everything I’ve read by them. RIP Joyce, prayers to Jim and family
Happy to hear the books will continue. Love reading them. Sad for all at our recent loss.
I haven’t yet read a series by the Lavenes that I didn’t like, and was sad to hear of Joyce’s passing. Thank you for sharing a new series, and all my best to Jim and the family.
Thanks JIm for commenting and interacting with my readers.
Contest is closed.
Thanks for hosting this event and letting me be here. It was fun.