Welcome to the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Hostage to Fortune: A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery by Kirsten Weiss. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, spotlights, reviews and more!
Hostage to Fortune: A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery
by Kirsten Weiss
I received this book free to review; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive compensation at no cost to you.
Hostage to Fortune: A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: misterio press (May 21, 2020)
Number of Pages: 250
Abigail and Hyperion uncork a murder…
Tea and Tarot room owner Abigail Beanblossom is used to running interference for her socially-awkward former boss, tech billionaire Razzzor. So when he invites her on a stakeout to investigate the sale of counterfeit wine from his latest venture – an upscale winery – she barrels on in. But the two stumble across the corpse of a wine merchant, and new wine in old bottles is now the least of their problems.
Good thing amateur detectives Abigail and her partner, tarot reader Hyperion Night, have a nose for murder. Their investigation takes them from elegant wine cellars to chic tea parties on the California coast. But just as the investigation starts to get its legs, Abigail discovers there’s more than wine at the bottom of this crime…
Hostage to Fortune is book 2 in the Tea and Tarot cozy mystery series. Start reading this hilariously cozy caper today!
Tearoom recipes in the back of the book.
My review of Hostage to Fortune
Abigail and Hyperion run Tea and Tarot which is just what it sounds like: a tearoom where you can get Tarot cards read. I adore Abigail and Hyperion in all of their quirky glory. They’re so funny! I wanted to drink tea and eat fairy cakes, scones, and tiny sandwiches while reading this!
Abigail’s former boss and good friend Razzzor asks her for help in tracking down the person responsible for selling counterfeit wine using his labels. Razzzor’s wine sells for $1000 a bottle and can’t have someone ruin his reputation. Their mission leads to them finding a dead body which leads them to HAVE to investigate!
When Razzzor is arrested, Abigail and Hyperion start snooping. Razzzor isn’t in jail long, so he joins the investigation. Along the way, two more murders happen and things get even more complicated for Razzzor, Abigail and Hyperion.
I love the characters in Hostage to Fortune. Abigail has a great relationship with her grandfather, who raised her. Her grandfather’s friend Tomas is her honorary uncle. The two make sure Abigail doesn’t get into too much trouble. I loved them because they’re so concerned about Abigail, and they’re fun! I thought Abigail’s neighbor Brik was going to be a huge jerk, but you can’t always trust your first impression!
This book was hard to put down! I loved how unique the mystery was. I’ve never heard of wine counterfeiting, but it really is a thing! And bottles of wine going for 10s of 1000s of dollars?! It’s crazy to think that some grapes that were growing years ago are now in a bottle of wine that costs $30,000! Anyway, I digress. The mystery and finding out whodunit will keep you flipping the pages in Hostage to Fortune. You’re going to love it!
Character guest post
Thanks to Abigail Beanblossom (the main character in Hostage to Fortune!) for this divine tea recipe called The Lover’s Tea.
Divinely Romantic Tea
At Beanblossom’s Tea and Tarot, tea is our passion. (Well, it’s my passion. Tarot is my partner Hyperion’s passion, but he’s lately gotten into herbs too). We’re constantly mixing up new seasonal and Tarot-themed brews, and you can too!
Here’s a recipe for a lovely iced tea you can make at home in honor of The Lovers card in Tarot’s Major Arcana. Hibiscus corresponds to Venus and love. Honey is magically associated with love as well, helping “stick” people together. Raspberries and strawberries are also considered “foods of love.”
According to our Tarot expert, Hyperion, The Lovers card is actually more about more than just falling in love. It’s primary meaning is about choice, and specifically the choice between what you want and what’s right. But the obvious meaning – love – is valid as well. So, we’re calling this: The Lovers Tea.
Ingredients:
2 T Hibiscus blossoms, dried
2 T chia seeds
1 handful fresh berries or thawed, frozen berries, pureed in a blender
2 T honey
1 quart boiling water
Instructions:
Put hibiscus blossoms in a tea strainer. Add boiling water to hibiscus blossoms in iced tea pitcher and allow to steep (with the lid off) for 10 minutes. Remove strainer and add honey while tea is still hot. Set tea aside and let cool to room temp. Add the chia seeds. Stir. Refrigerate for one hour. Add berry puree and stir. Refrigerate the tea overnight. (The chia seeds will produce a gel).
Shake before serving. Serve cold.
Note: This works best if you have an iced tea pitcher with a lid and a tea strainer inside. But it’s not necessary.
About Kirsten Weiss
Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.
Now based in Colorado Springs, CO, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.
If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town, Tea and Tarot, Paranormal Museum and Wits’ End books. If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Feel free to follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss, on Tumblr at kweiss01, on Pinterest at KirstenWeiss, or on Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of this book to Instagram and tag her @kirstenweissauthor, or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.
Author Links
Twitter: @KirstenWeiss
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss/
Instagram: @KirstenWeissAuthor
Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/kirsten-weiss
Book Series: Sensibility Grey Steampunk Suspense, Tea and Tarot cozy mysteries, the Pie Town cozy mysteries, the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum cozy mysteries, the Doyle Witch and Doyle Cozy mystery novels, the Riga Hayworth paranormal mysteries.
Purchase Links
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TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 20
Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
May 21
Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
I’m Into Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 22
Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, GUEST POST
Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
May 23
Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
May 24
Lisa Ks Book Review – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 25
Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
May 26
Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 27
A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 28
Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 29
The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 30
Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 31
StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
June 1
Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
June 2
Gimme The Scoop Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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Unique cover!! I love cozy mysteries, and I can’t wait to grab this one up!
Thank you for hosting me today, and for taking the time to read and review the book!
Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds like a great read.
Looks like an interesting book.
Thanks for the contest.
Sounds like a great read!!
brewed up a good one
Sounds like this book has two of my favorite genres in one: fantasy & mystery.
They look like good reads.
I’m looking forward to this-thank you!
Sounds like a great read.
This looks like an awesome read!
Sounds great! I’d love to read!