Gina Rae Mitchell

Gambling with Murder by Lida Sideris (A Southern California Mystery) | $20 Giveaway, Excerpt, Review

A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.

Book Details

Gambling with Murder by Lida Sideris
Series: Southern California Mysteries, #5, #5
Published by Level Best Books on 03/29/2022
Genres: Amateur Sleuth, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Crime, Detective/Sleuth, Humorous
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 260

A late-night call is all it takes for rookie lawyer Corrie Locke to kiss her day job at the movie studio goodbye, and do what she does best: flex her sweet P.I. skills and go undercover to find a senior who’s missing from a posh retirement community.

One small stumbling block: skirting past security to gain inside access to the exclusive Villa Sunset. Time to call in the heavy artillery. Besides former security guard turned legal assistant—now wannabe P.I.—Veera, Corrie relies on a secret weapon: her mother, a surprisingly eager addition to Corrie’s team.

Armed with enough pepper spray to take down a band of Navy Seals, Mom impersonates a senior to infiltrate the Villa, Corrie, and Veera in tow.

Turns out the job’s not as easy as they’d thought. These seniors have tricks tucked up their sleeves and aren’t afraid of using them. The action gets dicey when the missing senior case turns into attempted murder by a criminal mind who’s always one step ahead. Corrie’s hot on the trail, but finds more than she bargained for…when her mother becomes a target.

Source: Goddess Fish Promotions, Received from the author or publisher for review.

 

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Excerpt from Gambling with Murder

I pinned the beam of my light into a dark corner of the warehouse. Four large pieces of luggage lay side-by-side atop a folding table. Everything surrounding me was in stacks and piles. The luggage exteriors, aluminum handles, and zippers looked new. Why store unused luggage in a place with worn-out, broken-down stuff?

“Oh-oh,” Veera said.

“Hold on.” I grabbed a suitcase and slid it closer. I shone my light on a combination lock. Next to it sat a small keyhole. Pulling out a paperclip from my pants pocket, I shoved it into the keyhole and jiggled it around.

“Two unmarked vehicles drove up,” Veera whispered.

We’d parked behind the warehouse. I’d left Veera hiding near the entry to keep an eye out. I popped open the lid of the suitcase. Folded bedsheets lay on top. Easing them aside, I gaped at the blood-red cape with a stylized golden “S” on the back. “It’s Superman’s.”

“The cars parked next to each other,” Veera said.

To the side of the cape lay a pillowcase. I ran my fingers over something odd-shaped and bulky inside. I unwrapped it to find a one-of-a-kind, golden gun. “No way.” A cigarette case formed the handle. The trigger was a cufflink and a fountain pen served as the barrel. It was a prop gun from a James Bond film.

“Two muscular guys came out of a van,” Veera said. “There’s a third person taking his sweet time. Looks to be someone smaller, older by the way he moves. And he’s wearing a dress, which means he could be a her. Headed your way. If there’s a backdoor, I’d use it.”

Veera and I swung around. Taller than the fence and far meaner looking, a uniformed security guard glared down at us, head cocked to one side. His top lip curled in a snarl. I half expected his mouth to be filled with steel-capped teeth.

“Can you point us to the ladies’ room, please?” I asked. The name on his badge was Kyle.

“Get off this property.” He blinded us with his flashlight.

“Technically, this is city property.” Sounded legit to me.

“Out now.”

“Any wiggle room in the ‘now’ part?” I took a step back and limped. I stalled, hoping to conjure up a way to get in. “I hurt my foot.”

Veera pointed at my boot. “Could be a sprain. You got a doctor inside those buildings?”

“Get out before I physically toss you out,” he said.

Kyle could probably pick me up and hurl me across the street with one hand, but Veera? It wouldn’t be so easy. Together, we could take him. He leaned forward with a grunt, just as I leaned toward Veera. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” I whispered. I was betting his knees were his weak point.

Veera rolled her eyes over him and whispered back, “I’m thinking we should get going.”

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Purchase Links for Gambling with Murder

Amazon-One Link for all Countries   Bookshop/IndieBound

Kobo     AppleBooks/iTunes     The Book Depository

Waterstones     Blackwell’s     Walmart

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My thoughts on Gambling with Murder

Gambling with Murder by Lida Sedaris is book five in her Southern California Mystery series, but it works fine as a stand-alone story.

I haven’t read the first books in the series and had no issues following along.

Corrie wants nothing more than to be a private detective just like her late father. Will she give up her day job as a lawyer to fulfill that dream?

She & her legal assistant, Veera, tackle a case at an upscale senior home. Unfortunately, Corrie needs her mother’s help to gain access to the home. Things just go from bad to worse with multiple suspects and danger for all, including Mom.

Secrets abound with sneaky seniors and illicit poker games. When you throw a little robbery and blackmail into the mix, you have a fun cozy mystery.

I believe fans of this genre will enjoy Gambling with Murder for its laugh out loud moments and excellent story-telling.

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!

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Purchase Gambling with Murder online from a local book store.

Gambling with Murder: A Sou...Shop on Amazon Gambling with Murder: A Sou...Shop on Amazon

One Link for all countries!

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Giveaway!

Lida Sideris will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!

Official Tour Page

Full Tour Schedule:

April 7: Long and Short Reviews
April 14: Sandra’s Book Club
April 21: The Avid Reader
April 21: Gina Rae Mitchell
April 28: Our Town Book Reviews
April 28: Fabulous and Brunette

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