https://jamesjcudney.com – The Writer's Grab-Bag

A Plug for a Pal

James J. Cudney IV is a fellow blogger/writer I very much admire—not only for his writing talent, but for his personableness (yes, it’s a word, LOL) and support—but for his commitment to his craft. He’s currently doing a blog tour for his latest book and I felt compelled to jump on the bandwagon and provide a plug.

His new offering is Hiding Cracked Glass and it is available for pre-sale soon and will be officially published early October 2020. For those not in the know, it’s the sequel to the family drama Watching Glass Shatter. I’m stealing a bit of the blurb from Goodreads (I hope you don’t mind, Jay):

The wealthy Glass family lost its patriarch, Benjamin Glass, sooner than expected. Benjamin’s widow, Olivia, and her 5 sons each react to his death in their own way while preparing for the reading of his will. Olivia receives a very unexpected confession from her late husband about one of their sons that could shatter the whole family.

Intrigued? I certainly am. The sequel sounds no less riveting . . .

An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for? In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat and assumes it’s meant for her. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands and is read aloud, it throws the entire Glass family into an inescapable trajectory of self-question.

I can’t wait! If you haven’t read Watching Glass Shatter—or Father Figure or any of Jay’s Braxton Campus mysteries—I heartily recommend you do. You won’t be disappointed. Every book is a solid, absorbing read (the mysteries being lighter and quite entertaining).

Besides being an author and blogger, Jay’s also a reader and reviewer, genealogist and researcher, and thinker. Can you spell p-r-o-l-i-f-i-c?

Please check him out at:

Website: https://jamesjcudney.com

Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com

Amazon: https://bit.ly/JJCIVBooks

Next Chapter: https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/james-j-cudney

Review: James J. Cudney IV & Frozen Stiff Drink

Frozen Stiff Drink marks Book #6 in James J. Cudney’s Braxton Campus Mysteries—a series I (and many others) are quite fond of.

Before providing a taste of this delightful whodunit page-turner, I feel compelled to compliment Jay on his progression as an author. His writing style—first-rate to begin with—keeps improving with every book. The wry humor is wonderful. Descriptions/details are enough not to overwhelm (or bore) and enable readers to vividly visualize persons and places. And the repartee between characters is also deserving of praise.

In Frozen, Kellan Ayrwick, the protagonist, deals with a newcomer on the security scene, an arrogant fellow—the not-yet-ex of April, the woman he’s dating—named “Fox” (and he certainly seems as wily as one). Meanwhile, the not-too-well-liked Hiram Grey is murdered. Once again, there’s an assortment of suspects and, to complicate things, Grey’s murder is but the first. Hampton, Kellan’s brother, falls under suspicion when his father-in-law (and founder of the firm where he works) also enters the realm of the deceased. The intriguing plot has numerous [fun] twists and turns that has us surmising throughout.

Oh, let’s not forget our favorite granny, the sometimes biting but lovable Nana D, who also happens to be mayor of Wharton County. She goes missing during a fierce snowstorm and Kellan, understandably frantic, attempts to find her. Does he? You’ll have to pick up Frozen Stiff Drink to find out.

Kellan’s adorable eight-year-old daughter, Emma, and his ward, Ulan, travel to Disney Land with Kellan’s parents. Enter ex-wife Francesca, a woman with ties to the mob (you’ll have to read the other Braxton Campus mysteries to learn more), wants her daughter back. So not good.

If you’ve been following the series, you’ll find several familiar characters—some likable, some not. Hey, that’s life. And if you’ve not yet had an opportunity to read any of Jay’s books, I recommend starting from the beginning, because it’s always nice to see how characters, and writers, develop.

The entertaining, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat Frozen Stiff Drink deserves a five out of five. Park up your feet, grab a beverage of choice (a glass of a lush, full-bodied rioja would be an ideal choice), sit back . . . and savor!

Rating:

For those who don’t yet know Jay, he is a truly amazing and industrious soul (who also happens to be an awesome, supportive person). With a technology and business ops background under his belt, Jay not only serves as author, but blogger, reader and reviewer, and genealogist and researcher. Impressive, to say the least.

Please check him out at:

https://jamesjcudney.com/

Jumping on the Blog Tour Bandwagon

The Writer’s Grab-Bag isn’t a stop on the book tour, and the original plan was to wait until the end . . . but what the heck? Let’s aim for sooner than later.

James J. Cudney IV—Jay—has a fourth book in the Braxton Campus Mysteries called Mistaken Identity Crisis. I had an opportunity to read it a wee while back and thoroughly enjoyed it, as I did the others. It has all the elements of a cozy— an affable protagonist [with adorable young daughter], likable regulars, a host of suspects, and the putting-together-the-pieces-of-the-puzzle mystery.

Kellan is a Braxton professor and amateur sleuth. He has a supportive family, love interest, and eccentric in-your-face grandmother you gotta love. The case officially begins when a missing ruby is found near an electrified dead body during the campus cable-car redesign project. Not only must Kellan must locate the real killer to protect his brother, he has a delicate if not dangerous personal family matter to resolve. Add a sundry of jewel thefts to the murder, feuding mobsters, and you have a thrilling, fun whodunit.

Come visit Wharton County. Get to know the townspeople. Learn how Nana D does as the new mayor. Follow Kellan as he sorts through the suspect list . . . and solves the case.

A worthwhile read, my friends. Enjoy!

Learn more about Jay’s books at https://jamesjcudney.com.

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