HFVBT Presents: The Sarah Bennett Mysteries I-III + Giveaway

The Spirit of Grace by Terry Lynn Thomas

Publication Date: November 26, 2017

HQ Digital

Series: Sarah Bennett Mysteries, Book One

Genre: Historical Mystery

Sarah Bennett doesn’t remember the night her mother tumbled down the stairs at Bennett House, despite allegedly witnessing the fatal fall. There was talk of foul play, dark whispers, and sidelong glances, all aimed at Sarah, prompting her family to send her to The Laurels, an exclusive asylum in San Francisco, under a cloud of suspicion. Now, on the one-year anniversary of her mother’s murder, Sarah has been summoned home. Convinced of her innocence, she returns to Bennett House, hoping to put the broken pieces of her life back together. But when another murder occurs shortly after her arrival, Sarah once again finds herself a suspect, as she is drawn into a web of suspicion and lies. In order to clear her name, Sarah must remember what happened the fateful night her mother died. But as she works to regain her memory, the real murderer watches, ready to kill again to protect a dark family secret.

Amazon

The House of Secrets by Terry Lynn Thomas

Publication Date: April 11, 2019

HQ Digital

Series: Sarah Bennett Mysteries, Book Two

Genre: Historical Mystery

Sarah Bennett has two secrets: she sees ghosts, and she is in love with a spy. When Sarah takes a job with occult expert Dr Matthew Geisler, he promises to help her understand the sorrowful spirit that seems to have attached itself to her. As Sarah struggles to cope with the ghostly presence, she runs into Zeke, the man who left her six months earlier and is recovering from injuries suffered in an alleged accident. But Zeke has secrets of his own, and when an attempt is made on Geisler’s life, Sarah finds herself caught in a struggle between the living and the dead. Unsure who she can trust, Sarah must solve the mystery of the soul determined to haunt her, and save Dr. Geisler and herself from an unknown threat.

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The Drowned Woman by Terry Lynn Thomas

Publication Date: April 16, 2019

HQ Digital

Series: Sarah Bennett Mysteries, Book Three

Genre: Historical Mystery

Family secrets won’t always stay buried… December 1937. When Zeke’s sister-in-law Rachel Caen was found dead on Christmas Eve, her family assumed that she had taken her own life. Now five years later, one of the emeralds that Rachel was wearing at the time of her death is discovered at a stonecutter’s house in Portland, Oregon. With his brother Simon under suspicion for Rachel’s murder and stealing the emeralds, Zeke and detective Sarah are under pressure to clear his name. But with troubles of their own and in need of a place to hide, the duo return to Zeke’s hometown where a spiritual force helps Sarah find another emerald… All the fingers are pointing to Zeke’s family; how far will they go to protect their secrets? And will Sarah uncover the killer before it’s too late?

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My Thoughts 

The Sarah Bennett Mysteries volumes 1-3 blend the singularity of a paranormally involved heroine. With the cloak and dagger intrigue of 1940's war-era America. In a way that is seldom seen in the female sleuthing genre.

At the outset, Sarah's story of returning home from a forced commitment to an asylum after mysterious death mother.
Coupled with her quest to unlock her own blocked memory surrounding the event. Almost makes one assume this to be a cozy mystery of sorts.
But as one follows Sarah home and meets the cast of quirky, often odd, but mostly "more than they seem" characters who seem to come out of the woodwork in droves. Inserting themselves into both her life and the plot at seemingly odd angles.
One soon begins to realize that the death of Sarah's mother, may have just been the first step into what will soon become an ever deepening rabbit-hole.
Involving spies, additional murders, and even the possibility of treason on the part of Sarah's newfound love interest Zeke.

It is important that leading man Zeke is mentioned early on in this review because both he and his life become central to the plots of both The House Of Secrets. (Book 2) and The Drowned Women (Book 3)
It can in fact, safely be said that The Spirit Of Grace (Book 1) becomes less about solving death of Sarah's mother. And more about the introduction of Zeke's storyline into the overall collection narrative.

Seeing as he, his story, and even his sister are plot leads in both subsequent novels.
(See synopses of House Of Secrets and The Drowned Woman.)

The mysteries found in this collection are fast paced, descriptively narrated, and possessed of an almost Nancy Drew level innocence. That makes the overall feel of the read much lighter than its sometimes daunting subject matter would lead readers to believe possible. Making this the perfect "beach read". Or that "little escape" from life. That one carries in the bottom of one's purse. That doesn't require a prescription.

The series really grows and gains traction as Sarah's comfort level with her abilities grows.
And...
The relationship between she and Zeke deepens and matures.
These books are just the thing for those armchair Sherlocks out there.
Looking for just the right amount of mystery and mayhem. With a paranormal twist. 

About the Author

TERRY LYNN THOMAS grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, which explains her love of foggy beaches and Gothic mysteries. When her husband promised to buy Terry a horse and the time to write if she moved to Mississippi with him, she jumped at the chance. Although she had written several novels and screenplays prior to 2006, after she relocated to the South she set out to write in earnest and has never looked back. Terry Lynn writes the Sarah Bennett Mysteries, set on the California coast during the 1940s, which feature a misunderstood medium in love with a spy. The Drowned Woman is a recipient of the IndieBRAG Medallion. She also writes the Cat Carlisle Mysteries, set in Britain during World War II. The first book in this series, The Silent Woman, came out in April 2018 and has since become a USA TODAY bestseller. The Family Secret is slated for release in March 2019. When she’s not writing, you can find Terry Lynn riding her horse, walking in the woods with her dogs, or visiting old cemeteries in search of story ideas.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 9 Guest Post at What Is That Book About  

Tuesday, September 10 Excerpt at Bookish Rantings  

Thursday, September 12 Review at Just One More Chapter (Book #1)

P  Friday, September 13 Review at Coffee and Ink (Book #1) 

Monday, September 16 Feature at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals 

Tuesday, September 17 Review at WTF Are You Reading? (all three) 

Thursday, September 19 Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Friday, September 20 Review at Gwendalyn's Books (Book #1) 

Monday, September 23 Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective (Book #1) Tuesday, September 24 Feature at Gwendalyn's Books (Book #2) 

Wednesday, September 25 Review at Passages to the Past (Book #1) 

Thursday, September 26 Feature at I'm All About Books

Monday, September 30 Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective (Book #2) Wednesday, October 2 Excerpt at Gwendalyn's Books (Book #3) Thursday, October 3 Review at Macsbooks (Books #1 &# 2) 

Friday, October 4 Review at 100 Pages a Day (Book #1) 

Sunday, October 6 Review at A Darn Good Read (all three) 

Review at Spooky's Maze Of Books (Books #1 & #2) 

Monday, October 7 Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective (Book #3)

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away one eBook of each title in the Sarah Bennett Mysteries series! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to the US only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen. Sarah Bennett