Need a Scottish Fix? #FridayFiveChallenge Hamish Macbeth #Mystery, Would You BUY or PASS?

This fun feature is a mini workshop. We look at book covers just from their thumbnail pictures at online selling book sites and make quick fire buying decisions. We look from a READER’S Point of View and this exercise is very EYE OPENING.

From the book cover we will browse the book description, price and some of the reviews BUT we only have 5 MINUTES.

WE PLAY POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Join in and see where it leads.

Grab a coffee and spend 5 Minutes on this exercise.

This week my search term was “Scotland”, as I’m off for a weekend in Glasgow visiting my dear friend Barb Taub and her “wee hobbit hoose.”

Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Book Description

Now that Priscilla Halburton-Smythe has agreed to marry him, Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth can’t imagine a more perfect life. There’s not much crime in his remote Scottish village of Lochdubh, nothing much at all to do but fish, drink coffee, and slouch around. And now to spend time with lovely Priscilla.

But his days aren’t as tranquil as his dreams. For one thing, Priscilla’s renovation schemes are driving him out of his cottage. Not to mention her ambitious plans for his career as a policeman away from Lochdubh. This might be a good time to find out why Peter Hynd’s arrival in nearby Drim was causing so much trouble.

An attractive, unmarried man with an independent income would always attract attention in such a small place. But this time Hynd’s arrival seems to have caused bitter rivalry among the women of Drim. Hamish finds their petty fights amusing and a clever excuse to avoid Priscilla and her schemes for a new electric stove (to replace his beloved woodburning appliance), a posh new bathroom, and virtuous nutrition. Amusing, that is, until death threats, physical abuse, and murder make statistical history in one of Scotland’s most picture postcard-perfect towns.

Price; £4.99 kindle, second hand hard covers from £2.81. $5.93 or a second hand copy from $4

Number of reviews; 44 Amazon Uk, 70 Amazon US

Would I buy or Pass?….Buy a second hand copy.

Analysis

The piper on the cover screams Scotland as does a name of Hamish Macbeth, an easy option for soaking up some Scottish charm.

Over to you….

Mug 1

Get yourself a cuppa and give yourself 5 minutes.

In today’s online shopping age, readers often base their buying decisions from small postage stamp size book covers (Thumb-nails), a quick glance at the book description and the review. How much time do they really spend making that buying decision?

AUTHORS – You often only have seconds to get a reader to buy your book, is your book cover and book bio up to it?

My Friday Five Challenge is this….. IN ONLY FIVE MINUTES….

1) Go to any online book supplier,

2) Randomly choose a category,

3) Speed through the book covers, choose one which has instantly appealed to your eye,

4) Read the book Bio/ Description for this book,

5) If there are reviews, check out a couple,

6) Make an instant decision, would you BUY or PASS?

(then write a little analysis about your decision)

Share your post, use #FridayFiveChallenge @rosieamber1 and I’ll help share all relevant posts.

Here are links to other bloggers taking the challenge today.

Shelley searched for Witches and found Moon Bayou by J.R Rain

Cathy found a murder mystery Hunting The Crows by Iain Cameron

Our #Bookreviews featured in January editions of Fleet Life and Elvetham Heath Directory #TuesdayBookBlog

This month the review team and I have several of our book reviews featured in the following magazines,

Fleet Life is featuring the following books, for the online version go to http://www.fleetlife.org.uk, click on the online directory and load the magazine, turn to page 40 for this month’s book review page.

FL Jan

The House Of York by Terry Tyler

The Executioner by Ana Calin

Any Man Joe by Robert Leigh

The Sickness by Dylan J Morgan

Murder at the Lighthouse by Frances Evesham

Elvetham Heath Directory is featuring the following books, for the online version go to http://www.ehd.org.uk, click on the online directory and load the magazine, turn to page 32 for this month’s book reviews.

EHD Jan

The Man I Love by Suanne Laqueur

Moon Bayou by J.R Rain

Grimnirs by Ednah Walters

Owen by Tony Riches

Silver Rain by Jan Ruth

Moon Bayou by J.R Rain #Paranormal #Fantasy @jr_rain @CuriosityQuills

Moon BayouMoon Bayou by J.R. Rain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Moon Bayou is a paranormal fantasy featuring vampires, werewolves and the voodoo culture around New Orleans. This book follows the already popular Samantha Moon series. Samantha is a Private Investigator and lives in California, but she’s been asked to investigate the disappearance of Wendy Lo. Missing for six months, her parents are desperate for any news.

Samantha is an unusual investigator in that she is a vampire, with mind reading skills, plus she can go out in the sunlight, due to some fancy rings she wears. However New Orleans has an uncomfortable atmosphere which she can’t put her finger on. More curious is the warning she receives from a friend about a blood price on her head, set in 1860. A ridiculous statement since Sam wasn’t around then, or is it?

When she’s captured by the Tête de Mort Krewe and help comes from friends she doesn’t remember, Sam has more questions than answers. It looks like Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau is the one she must turn to, but contacting her on the night of their most powerful ceremony has life changing results.

I loved this story, I have read the first Samantha Moon book , which reminds me I need to catch up with this series. The storyline was fast and full of surprises. I wanted to howl like a werewolf when the book ended, I wanted more!

This review is based on a free copy of the book from Curiosity Quills

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads