Mind Over Murder by Allison Kingsley

Sep 18, 2011 | My Musing

Mind Over Murder by Allison Kingsley is the first book in the new “Raven’s Nest Bookstore” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin), September 2011

Cousins and best friends, Clara and Stephanie Quinn run The Raven’s Nest bookstore in quaint Finn’s Harbor, Maine. It’s where people go to find their most coveted reads, having no idea it’s Clara who’s reading their minds

For some time, all Clara Quinn wanted was to get away from Finn’s Harbor—and her inherited ability to see into the future and read people’s thoughts, a trait her family calls the Quinn Sense. But Clara couldn’t stay away for long, and soon she’s helping her cousin, Stephanie Quinn Dowd, in her bookstore, the Raven’s Nest.

The bookstore has made an enemy of the town crier, Ana Jordon, who’s outraged by the store’s occult collection and how it’s poisoning the town’s youth. Meanwhile, the store’s number one employee, Molly, has made no secret of her anger over Ana’s antics. So when Ana is found dead, killed by the bust of Edgar Allen Poe—sculpted by Molly—the evidence is stacked against her. Clara knows Molly and the store are in trouble. Now she must rely on her gift to make sense of this senseless murder.

This is another great debut! Having ignored her psychic ability for so long, Clara is put to the test when her cousin’s employee becomes the prime suspect in a recent murder. Sensing that she is innocent, Clara agrees to help Stephanie close the book on this killer. What a great read. This was a well-crafted tale that I could not put down, not even for a minute. The running conversation between the two cousins entertained me as they devise scenarios to catch a killer with surprising results. With a likeable cast, a small-town feel and a good mystery plot, I hope the doors stays open for this delightfully charming debut series.

*new-to-me author

Allison Kingsley is the pseudonym for Kate Kingsbury

** I have one copy of MIND OVER MURDER to give away, thanks to Berkley! To enter, leave a comment with a valid e-mail address. Please break it up using (at) and (dot), like domain(at)host(dot)com. This is open to US addresses (publisher’s request). Contest ends on September 21 at 6:00 pm EST. Winner will be notified by e-mail and has 2 days to respond. **

20 Comments

  1. Cynthia Wong
    Cynthia Wong on September 18, 2011 at 9:19 am

    another cozy mystery series!!! YAYS!!! i love reading a new series from the get-go!!! thank you for the giveaway!! good luck & congrats to Allison Kingsley!!!

    cyn209(AT)juno(DOT)com

  2. Ann
    Ann on September 18, 2011 at 9:45 am

    Looks like a great new series. Thanks for the review and giveaway!

    summergal05(at)gmail(dot)com

  3. Terry Parrish
    Terry Parrish on September 18, 2011 at 11:01 am

    I love books set in a bookstore. Probably because I love them, and could spend hours in one. And a murder in one makes it even more interesting. So this book would be right up my alley.

  4. Terry Parrish
    Terry Parrish on September 18, 2011 at 11:02 am

    I forget every time to do this:

    TerryParrish2010@hotmail.com

    Too interested in the review to think about what I’m supposed to be doing!

  5. Mare F
    Mare F on September 18, 2011 at 11:07 am

    This is a definite on my wish list. It appears to be a very fun read. I’m looking forward to it!

  6. elisanabby
    elisanabby on September 18, 2011 at 11:18 am

    Sounds like a great story and i like when the book is a page turner.

    elisanabby(at)gmail(dot)com

  7. Sue Farrell
    Sue Farrell on September 18, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    Yet another new series that I’ve put on my “must try” list.
    suefarrell(dot)farrell(at)gmail(dot)com

  8. Vickie Browning
    Vickie Browning on September 18, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    Oh YAY! Paranormal cozies are a big favorite of mine and this looks super.

    VWinship at aol dot com

  9. josephine
    josephine on September 18, 2011 at 8:45 pm

    sounds like a good book would love to read it

  10. Linda Kuzminczuk
    Linda Kuzminczuk on September 19, 2011 at 8:25 am

    Cozy mysteries with a touch of the paranormal–a home run! Thanks.
    kuzlin(at)aol(dot)com.

  11. Nancy Hill Bradford
    Nancy Hill Bradford on September 19, 2011 at 8:42 am

    What a great sounding book, Would love to win it.

    nlb1050(at) yahoo (dot) com

  12. dixie
    dixie on September 19, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    This sounds like a great new series!

    readerofthepack(at)gmail(dot)com

  14. Stacie Amelotte
    Stacie Amelotte on September 20, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    Looks like a fun series. Can’t wait to start reading it 🙂

    Scouts579(at) aol (dot) com

  15. Pamela James
    Pamela James on September 20, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    What a great premise for a series. I love bookstore mysteries and someone who reads minds is a very intriguing idea.
    pjames25us@yahoo.com

  16. Tonya Urbatsch
    Tonya Urbatsch on September 20, 2011 at 8:35 pm

    Looks like another good yarn.

    tonya(at)urbatsch(dot)com

    Do you really mean to put the (at) and (dot) in instead of @ and .?

  17. Becky Curtis
    Becky Curtis on September 21, 2011 at 8:41 am

    This sounds like a great new series.

    blwilstead(at)aol(dot)com

  18. Dru
    Dru on September 21, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    Contest is closed.

  19. Carol N Wong (@Carolee888)
    Carol N Wong (@Carolee888) on September 21, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    I am a big cozy fan!!! I really like them when they are set in bookstores,

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  20. Dru
    Dru on September 23, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    Congratulations to our winner: Pamela James!