A man running from his past. A thief with a taste for blood. This is no time for scrapbooking.
“Colin Conway has written the most unusual hero I’ve come across in a long time. Both touching and sweet with a razor-sharp edge. This is not your grandma’s cozy.”Libby Klein, Author of the Poppy McAllister Mysteries
Welcome to Belfry, Oregon—the home of Evenfall!
Years ago, a series of sparkly … Mysteries
Welcome to Belfry, Oregon—the home of Evenfall!
Years ago, a series of sparkly vampire movies were made on this north Oregon island. Every autumn, a festival is held to celebrate the films and let fans reenact their favorite scenes.
Murray Lee has no interest in bloodsuckers, though. For the past several days, an outlaw motorcycle gang seeking revenge has pursued him. He’s tired, alone, and cranky. Amid a torrential downpour, Murray barely crossed the lone working bridge to Belfry before it washed out.
Now, he’s stranded on the island as his enemy musters its forces and plans an attack.
To make matters worse, someone is biting and robbing the citizens of the island. The local cops seem to think Murray fits the description and are digging into his background.
But Murray is a man with a secret he must protect. The U.S. government has invested a lot to keep him safe, and his enemies will stop at nothing now that they’ve found him.
Murray Lee is about to be immersed in vampire culture in a way he would never have expected.
more
Cozy Up to Blood by Colin Conway
Cozy Up Mysteries #3
What fun this book was! Meeting Murray Lee in the beginning was a treat and I soon was reminded of the rugged, lethal but charming main character of this series. Each book sees him donning a new moniker and dealing with a different and often criminal situation, but he always pulls through at the end of the book. Having met him originally as Brody, next as Owen, and in this book hearing him called Murray well, I still thought of him as Beau…at least some of the time.
Murray has found himself in a bit of a pickle. He is on the run when a bridge washes out leaving him stranded on a small island where a vampire movie fan festival is taking place. Throw in some Dawgs from his past chasing him, a thief that bites, cops that are not his friends, intriguing situations, and you have a wonderful way to spend time – at least I did! I was swept away from worries and enjoyed my time with a man I am truly growing to admire. I do hope he will eventually get his happily ever after.
What I liked:
* Murray: a man with a past that he wants to leave behind as he remakes himself in a better way. He still pines for a woman from book one but there are women in this book that find him worth making a pass at, too. He has lethal skills but only employs them if necessary. I really like him.
* The vampire Easter egg hunt – or references to vampire movies scattered throughout the book
* The transformation of Murray into a vampire look alike
* The life-size cutouts described in town businesses
* Anna: if the woman on the east coast doesn’t work out Anna could be a contender
* Abner: I could relate to him and enjoyed his part in the book
* The plot, pacing and writing
* Everything really…except…
What I didn’t like:
* The Dawgs…a ruthless bunch of Motorcycle Club criminals that hopefully will one day be shut down
Did I enjoy this book? Oh my, yes!
Would I read more in this series? Definitely!
Thank you to the author for the ARC – this is my honest review.
5 Stars
This is a great story. I liked that the author made reference to other vampire stories in this book. i am enjoying this series. I think the main character Beau (or whatever name he is assigned to) is a great main character and I look forward to reading more Beau and the situations he gets himself into.
I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my voluntary review.
Murray Lee has wandered onto the island of Belfry off the coast of Oregon just as the rains wash away the bridge connecting it to the mainland. He’s just in time for the annual festival dedicated to the movies in the Evenfall series, a popular vampire themed series of books and movies which were filmed on the island. This means there are plenty of outsiders posing as vampires around town. Someone is taking advantage of the crowds by attacking some of the locals, stealing from them, and biting their necks. The local police think that Murray is a good suspect since he is new to town but obviously not part of the Evenfall crowd. But Murray doesn’t want the police looking into him or his past. He has a secret. And it might have something to do with the motorcycle gang sitting on the other side of the bridge waiting for the water to recede. Can he clear his name without revealing his past? Will he even get off the island alive?
There is a part of me that enjoyed the book despite the flaws. I do enjoy Murray’s character, and I want to see him succeed and be happy. The Evenfall books and movies, clearly a spoof on Twilight, were always funny when they were the focus of the story. And yet, the mystery of the book was weak, almost more a sub-plot in the middle of everything else. I’ve always struggled a bit with the overall premise of the series, but this time, it was extremely unbelievable. I am still hoping we get another book, especially since the ending set up another adventure. If you are interested in the series, I suggest you wait until you can get them cheaply.