Aloha to Sherry Harris and I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #5)

Sherry Harris presents the fifth installment of this charming, bestselling cozy mystery series! One man's junk is another man's treasure. But finding that treasure can be murder. As Sarah Winston discovers, someone is always ready to kill someone else for seemingly worthless pieces of junk.

FOUL PLAY IN THE GYM
When it comes to running a successful garage sale, Sarah Winston believes in doing her homework. She also believes in giving back. But when she agrees to manage an athletic equipment swap, she doesn't bargain on an uncharitable killer. The day of the event, the school superintendent is found dead in the gymnasium.

HAS SARAH PLAYING DEFENSE
Suddenly the murder suspects are the school board members--including the husband of a very difficult client who's hired Sarah to run a high-end sale and demands she do her bidding. In between tagging and haggling, Sarah studies the clues to see who wanted to teach the superintendent a lesson. But as she closes in on the truth, the killer intends to give her a crash course on minding her own business . . .

Sherry Harris started bargain hunting in second grade at her best friend’s yard sale. She honed her bartering skills as she moved around the country while her husband served in the Air Force. Sherry uses her love of garage sales, her life as a military spouse, and her time living in Massachusetts as inspiration for the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series.  Learn more about Sherry and her books at sherryharrisauthor.com.

Hanscom AFB, Massachussets

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer
- Nat King Cole

Soda, pretzels, and beer are go-to snack foods for a lazy afternoon. They also pop up in the plot of I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER. For me, any Sherry Harris book is a go-to "snack" read for a lazy afternoon. The Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries series is set around the Minute Man Historical National Park outside of Boston where the real Hanscom Air Force Base is located - it is obviously the inspiration for Fitch AFB in the series. Both Sherry and I have spent time (separately) at Hanscom ... so I am naturally drawn to this series.

Indeed, there is much to cheer with I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER. I love the title as it relates to Sarah's passion and profession - finding bargains at garage sales, second hand stores, and estate auctions. I also found it to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the teen scream movies that are predictable but entertaining. Indeed, I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER follows the standard cozy mystery pattern - capable heroine in a small business finds a dead party, becomes an amateur sleuth, finds a few red herrings, puts herself in jeopardy, but solves the mystery. Yet Harris adds a few layers of intrigue with three back-to-back incidents with shadowy characters. These incidents are seemingly unconnected ... but who believes in coincidences?

Harris features a subplot with taste testing lasagna ... it adds comic relief to the story line. Sarah's efforts to sample the pasta staple in the surrounding towns reveals that she is human, that readers can relate to her, as she indulges in carbs galore.

The story unfolds from Sarah's first person point of view. This enables Harris to educate the reader about local customs, such as indulging in fluffernutter sandwiches - marshmellow fluff and peanut butter staple of New England's hardy population. Sarah also offers tips for hosting garage sales .... and haggling at garage sales. The first person POV is helpful at times .. but also distracting. Sarah often explained operational procedures on the military base when Sarah - a civilian - frequently gained access to the restricted area. To be fair, I found it distracting because I am already familiar with the military procedure as a veteran. But other readers might find it helpful.

Still, my one critique did not take away from my enjoyment of I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER. It kept my attention through the plot curves. To discuss the plot further would spoil the story ... just know that it all comes together at the end for a satisfying read. Once I finished the book, I could then see how Harris planted clues along the way.

I believe I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER could be enjoyed as a stand alone novel, but I recommend starting at the beginning with TAGGED FOR DEATH. All five books in the series are easy reads, so you can catch up just in time to join Sarah on the garage sale circuit.

I received a copy of I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER - mil spouse to mil spouse - for an honest review.

Hanscom AFB, Massachussets

Sherry Harris gave me a second copy of I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER to giveaway here on my blog. So let's chat about garage sales, thrift shops, and other places to find a bargain. I invite you to share your own experience - good, bag, or ugly? Special find or total dud? One randomly selected commenter wins the autographed copy of I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER. Comments are open through Sunday, April 1. I'll post the winner on Monday, April 2.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Sherry Harris and A GOOD DAY TO BUY - Book Review (with giveaway)

HER BROTHER IS NO BARGAIN
When Sarah Winston’s estranged brother Luke shows up on her doorstep, asking her not to tell anyone he’s in town—especially her ex, the chief of police—the timing is strange, to say the least. Hours earlier, Sarah’s latest garage sale was taped off as a crime scene following the discovery of a murdered Vietnam vet and his gravely injured wife—her clients, the Spencers.

BUT IS HE A KILLER?
All Luke will tell Sarah is that he’s undercover, investigating a story. Before she can learn more, he vanishes as suddenly as he appeared. Rummaging through his things for a clue to his whereabouts, Sarah comes upon a list of veterans and realizes that to find her brother, she’ll have to figure out who killed Mr. Spencer. And all without telling her ex . . .

Bye, bye, bye - NSnyc

Bai, Bai, Bai - Christopher Walken and Justin Timberlake

Buy, buy, buy - anxious garage sale participant

A GOOD DAY TO BUY is Book 4 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series. Sarah is a former military spouse who chose to stay in the cozy New England town of  Ellington after her divorce from CJ.  CJ also stayed in Ellington after retiring the Security Forces squadron commander on nearby Finch AFB.  Their lives continue to intersect as he serves as Ellington's Chief of Police ... and she continues to volunteer on Finch AFB.

Harris is a military spouse who previously lived on Hanscom AFB outside Bedford, Masssachussets - a suburb of Boston. Hanscom was my first assignment in the Air Force ... I have fond memories of "Happy Hanscom".  Sherry is also a garage sale enthusiast - she posts fabulous finds on Facebook at this link. 

In the previous three books, Sarah adjusted to "civilian" life in a town where locals have multi-generational connections to the land.  She found a niche as a "garage sale" consultant and created an online sales site for second hand goods.  Along the way, she discovered a few bodies, found herself in precarious positions, and solved the murders that stymied CJ. As much as he professionally advisers her to stay out of police business, CJ still cares for Sarah.  

Book Four opens with Sarah conducive to CJ romancing her back into his life.  Sarah feels as though she is on Clound Nine until her worst nightmare unfolds - she hears a crash in the back of the garage during an active yard sale.  Her client, a veteran, is dead and his wife is injured.  The situation is complicated by the arrival of Luke Winston, Sarah's long lost brother and a Marine veteran who suffers from PTSD.  Sarah follows him down a rabbit hole for his investigation into "posers" - civilians who pose as veterans for monetary gain. Luke's fingerprints at the scene of the crime interrupt Sarah's romance with CJ and put her in jeopardy as she seeks to clear his name.

A GOOD DAY TO BUY offers the typical cozy mystery fare - quirky characters, red herrings, and an amateur sleuth who often looses common sense in the pursuit of a lead.  Mix in local culture - fluffernutter sandwiches, lobster rolls, and Boston's North End pizza - for a satisfying read.  Harris pays tribute to our veterans by visiting the American Legion, interacting with veterans of all ages, and spotlighting how the veteran community takes care of each other.  For example, a female Vietnam veteran explains why a WWII veteran wears a "non issued" belt - his arthritis requires him to use a belt that is easier to buckle. That one scene reminded me that our veterans are National Treasures, whether or not their are dressed to regulation.

I checked out A GOOD DAY TO BUY from the Howard County Library System.

Check out my pictures from "Happy Hanscom" on my travel blog at this link.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Share a "special" find from a garage sale, flea market, or Thrift Shop.  

I found two individual tea pots from the base thrift shop - one is early design of Polish pottery and one is from the B&O Railroad.  They probably do not have monetary value but offer sentimental value.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, July 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, July 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Sherry Harris and ALL MURDERS FINAL! (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery) - Book Review

Her Next Sale

When Sarah Winston started the virtual garage sale, it seemed like a keystroke of genius and the next logical step in her business. No more collapsing card tables and rainy-day washouts. But what began as a fun way to run garage sales during the long New England winter has become a nightmare of managing people and putting out fires. Online, she can avoid the crowds--but not the crazies.

May Be Her Last

She certainly never bargained on dealing with frightening threats. And when a client is murdered, it's time for Sarah to swallow her pride and seek the help of her ex--C.J. Hooker, chief of police. Forging a tense alliance, they search--online and off--for the killer. But solving this crime before someone else gets tagged seems virtually impossible…

Savin' my money and I'm hella happy that's a bargain
- Thrift Shop by Macklemore

Sherry Harris, an Air Force spouse, set the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series in the fictional town of Ellington, Massachusetts, near the fictional Finch Air Force Base. These locales are based on Bedford, Massachusetts, and Hanscom AFB. Sherry's spouse was assigned to this small base in the cradle of the American Revolution ... and Hanscom AFB was my first assignment.  

Sarah Winston is a capable military spouse herself.  Actually, she's divorced from her husband, CJ Hooker, the former commander of the Security Forces (military police).  Their divorce, his retirement, and her move off base played out in TAGGED FOR DEATH, Book 1 in the series.  Once a military spouse, always a military spouse.  Military spouses learn to be thrifty, flexible, and diplomatic.  In ALL MURDERS FINAL!, Book 3 in the series, Sarah draws upon those attributes she gained as a military spouse to kick start her new career - garage sale adviser.  Alas, garage sales are not feasible during a Massachusetts winter ... so Sarah creates a virtual garage sale site for the local denizens to buy and sell according to their New England thriftiness.

Sarah's success is met with complaints from buyers (who are outbid), sellers (when buyers pick up without payment), and a consignment store owner (who is loosing business to the site). These issues are nothing compared to Sarah finding the reigning matron dead after arguing online with her over the sale of a vintage tablecloth.  Sarah sets out to clear her name and her business ... with a fluffernutter sandwich in hand! 

ALL MURDERS FINAL explores life in a historic New England town where the residents struggle to keep up with the high cost of living.  I appreciated Harris incorporating local traditions - wine from the packy! - along with the pursuit of a bargain in the digital age.  Harris adds depth with Sarah's struggle to reconcile her feelings for her ex husband (based on sweet memories) and the very single district attorney (based on rebound fun).  The creme de la creme was Mike the Big Cheese, a secondary character who hints at another mystery altogether. I hope to see Mike (and his cheese) in future books. I stayed up too late to finish ALL MURDERS FINAL! - I could not put this book down. I felt as though I was back at Hanscom Air Force Base, soaking up the history along the Freedom Trail.  

I read the series in the following order: Book 2, Book 1, and Book 3.  Harris takes the time to provide just enough backstory for readers to jump into the series with any book.  And what a fun jump it would be!

I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries, New England, and bargain hunting.

Image by Jot Powers (link)

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about an unusual food from your area.  As mentioned above, Sarah enjoys the fluffernutter sandwich - a New England classic made of white bread, marshmallow fluff, and peanut butter.

2. Comments are open through Saturday, June 25, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 26.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Sherry and her books, including her Friday Finds, at sherryharrisauthor.com.

Aloha to Sherry Harris and TAGGED FOR DEATH - Book Review

Starting your life over at age thirty-eight isn't easy, but that's what Sarah Winston finds herself facing when her husband CJ runs off with a 19-year-old temptress named Tiffany. Sarah's self-prescribed therapy happily involves hitting all the garage and tag sales in and around her small town of Ellington, Massachusetts. If only she could turn her love for bargain hunting into a full-time career.

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

But after returning from a particularly successful day searching for yard sale treasures, Sarah finds a grisly surprise in one of her bags: a freshly bloodied shirt…that undoubtedly belongs to her ex, CJ, who now happens to be Ellington's chief of police. If that's not bad enough, it seems Tiffany has gone missing. Now it's up to Sarah to prove that her cold-hearted ex is not a cold-blooded killer…

But finding that treasure can be murder.

I shop at thrift shops probably five times a week. - Macklemore

Sherry Harris, Air Force spouse-turned-cozy mystery author, kicks off her debut series with Sarah Winston, a recently divorced military spouse who finds solace in a bargain.  Yard sale, Craig's List, or thrift shop, there's nothing like a good deal to soothe over the emotional baggage of watching her 19 years of marriage tossed out like stained clothes.  Sarah may have changed her name, and moved off base to the fictional town of Effington, MA, but the wounds are still deep.  She indulges in Angelo's bianca pizza and Boston's fluffernutter sandwich. Sarah also helps friends organize their own yard sales and donating leftovers to the base thrift shop. 

Yet no good deed goes unpunished.  While sorting through a donation bag, she finds incriminating evidence that her ex-husband (and Effington's Chief of Police) may have harmed the young airman (actually, young woman) who broke up their marriage.  Despite the animosity she feels for her cheating husband, she cannot believe he would harm anyone, let alone the temptress who is now carrying his child.  Sarah confronts CJ with the bloodied shirt, only to find herself in the middle of a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

Harris delivers a cozy mystery which is both humorous and heartwarming.  The zany characters reminded me of people I've met through my military travels, bringing a smile to my face.  Likewise, I emphasized with Sarah's determination to stay sane while other women whisper behind her back.  Who hasn't been there, done that?  Harris gives readers a glimpse into the rewards and challenges of military life and frequent moves.  In fact, she spotlights how much time military spouses give as community volunteers, including the "dirty jobs" of sorting donations at the Thrift Shop (Macklemore would be in heaven).  Finally, Harris showcases the charm and quirks of New England from Sarah's perspective as a transplanted Californian.  She often shares how New Englanders pronounce seemingly easy words with their unique dialect.  

TAGGED FOR DEATH offered me a trip down memory lane as I served as a Lieutenant at Hanscom AFB, the inspiration for the fictional Fitch AFB.  I remember it as "Happy Hanscom"; Sarah refers to it as "Fabulous Fitch".  Indeed, TAGGED FOR DEATH is Ab Fab with Sarah mimicking Edina in her goal to put things right.  TAGGED FOR DEATH is an entertaining read with a dash of Colonial cultural and military appreciation.   

I received a print copy from Sherry Harris as military appreciation.  I chose to write an honest review to share the joy I found in TAGGED FOR DEATH. 

I love a bargain at gently read book stores.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  What is the most unusual "local" food you have sampled in your travels?  As mentioned in the review, Sarah adapts to the Massachusetts's state sandwich, the fluffernutter:  peanut butter and marshmallow creme usually served on white bread.

When I lived in Boston, I loved New England Clam Chowder aka chowda.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, July 25, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 26.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Check out my interview with Sherry Harris (link) and my review of Book Two in the series, THE LONGEST YARD SALE (link).

Aloha to Sherry Harris and THE LONGEST YARD SALE - Book Review

ONE MAN’S CLUTTER

When Sarah Winston turns Ellington, Massachusetts, into New England’s largest garage sale for a day, it’s the small town’s biggest event since the start of the Revolutionary War—but without the bloodshed. That is, until a valuable painting goes missing…and the lifeless body of an Air Force officer is found in Carol Carson’s painting studio, his face perfectly framed with the murder weapon—a metal picture frame.

IS ANOTHER MAN’S CLOVER

Sarah is mad as heck that someone used her town-wide garage sale to commit a crime—and frame her good friend Carol. She is definitely on this case…but it’s not easy rummaging through increasingly strange clues that point to cheating spouses, downright dirty investment schemes—even the mob. And Sarah will have to be very careful if she wants to live to bargain another day…

Buy, buy, says the sign in the shop window; Why, why, says the junk in the yard. - Paul McCartney

Sherry Harris, an Air Force spouse - turned - cozy mystery author, asked me to review her second book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series.  The heroine is an Air Force spouse, just like Sherry and me.  The story takes place in Ellington, MA, a fictional town inspired by the real town of Bedford, MA.  The action overflows to Fitch AFB, a fictional military base inspired by the real Hanscom AFB.  Sherry and I enjoyed assignments to Hanscom AFB.   How could I say no?

Newly divorced, Sarah is finally getting back her groove. She has a cozy apartment in Ellington, a Colonial town enroute to the North Bridge ala Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.  The mayor hired Sarah to coordinate the Longest Yard Sale to bring commerce and tourists to Ellington.   Despite the sale's success, several fires broke out, a famous painting is stolen, and an Air Force civilian is found dead in the art gallery owned by another Air Force spouse.   Sarah steps in to help her friend only to find her ex husband, retired Air Force officer - turned - Ellington's Chief of Police, discouraging her efforts while trying to woo her back. Add a sexy prosecutor, a Mafia lawyer, and a noisy neighbor for an entertaining read.

Kudos to Harris for creating a 38 year old heroine who can land on her feet after the painful divorce.  Harris also captures the New England charm and spotlights Air Force life.   I enjoyed the trip down memory lane with this cozy mystery.

Recommended read for fans of bargain hunting, colorful characters, and small town antics.  

I received an ARC from the author for my honest review. 

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about New England - what do you know about the Colonial states?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, July 4, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 5.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Sherry and her books at sherryharrisauthor.com.

Check out my pictures from Hanscom AFB and the surrounding historical towns at link, link, link, link, link, and link.