Murder on PointeA Fiona Quinn Mystery #1
By C.S. McDonald
Narrated by Maren Swenson WaxenbergFiona Quinn is thrilled her BFF Silja Ramsay is back in town and about to dance the principal role in Coppelia. But before she has time to even enjoy a visit with Silja murder has taken out one of the dancers. Having discovered the body Fiona and Silja are the police's best chance at witnessing anything of importance.
Homicide Detective Nathan Landry is going to do his best to solve the case and if that means recruiting Fiona Quinn to go undercover for him so be it. It's been more than ten years since Fiona last danced, thanks to a career-ending skiing injury, but with pleas from Detective Landry and Silja Fiona agrees. But she won't skip out on her kindergarten class so the ballet will just have to work around her schedule. Can Fiona find a clue to help catch a killer before they strike again? Or will she become the next target? And even more important is Detective Landry interested in her as Silja suggested or is it just wishful thinking? And then there is Fiona's house, not saying more but it definitely has a few interesting attributes that Fiona is not wanting to explain.
Not that murder is fun or enjoyable, but overall this was an enjoyable read (or listen in my case). And I learned more about ballet than I had previously known so the glimpse behind the scenes was more than a little interesting. This is the first book in the Fiona Quinn Mystery series and this is definitely a series I can see myself enjoying books of. The pacing was good and at just 4 hours and 30 minutes not too long of a read (or listen) and it was perfect for commuting to work. The narration by Maren Swenson Waxenberg was done well and most of the character voices were distinct enough to tell them apart easily.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
Book Details:
Book Title: Murder on Pointe: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #1
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 219 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Jul 19, 2016
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:Book Title: Murder on Pointe: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #1
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 219 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Jul 19, 2016
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Fiona can't wait to attend the performance of Coppelia at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh. Her old friend, Silja Ramsay, is dancing the principal role. They have dinner after the show, but when they return Pittsburgh Ballet Theater is down one dancer! Ballerina, Alexis Cartwright, has been found dead in the dressing room. Is this murder a result of hot tempers among the cast members? Or is it a random act of violence? Will there be more murders? Homicide Detective Nathan Landry isn't taking any chances. After finding out Fiona has a strong background in ballet, he recruits her to go undercover among the cast of Coppelia. Can Fiona help catch a killer, or will she be the next victim?
Book Details:
Book Title: Merry Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #2
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 219 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 51 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Sep 16, 2016
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Title: Merry Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #2
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 219 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 51 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Sep 16, 2016
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:
The cookies are baked. The tree is trimmed. The shopping? Well, it's almost done, and Fiona's parents have finally returned home for a holiday visit - along with some unexpected unruly friends. Yep, Fiona's perfectly planned Christmas is coming together, but how could've she planned for her favorite uncle's murder? Who could possibly kill a sweet old man who's played Santa at the local mall every year without fail? Fiona's boyfriend, Detective Nathan Landry, is determined to find out - before Christmas day arrives. There's only one problem: Nancy Quinn. Fiona's mom is just as determined as the detective to catch the murderer, and she isn't shy about getting the job done - even if it includes breaking a few pesky laws! Will Fiona and her mother find the killer first or will the killer find them?
Book Details:
Book Title: Waves of Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #3
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 190 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 6 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Apr 11, 2017Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Title: Waves of Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #3
Author: C.S. McDonald
Run Time: 4 hours, 6 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Apr 11, 2017Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:
School's out for the summer!
Kindergarten teacher Fiona Quinn is looking forward to spending some quality time in her yard and with her boyfriend, Detective Nathan Landry. However, Fiona's plans get squelched when her mother volunteers her to edit a manuscript for famous romance author Wyla Parkes.
What's so bad about that? The author insists Fiona must work on the manuscript at her beach cottage on Presque Isle - three hours away from her yard and Nathan. Spending six weeks in an adorable cottage on a private beach doesn't really seem all that bad until people start turning up dead - beginning with the author! Fiona's summer of sun and sand is instantly transformed into a murder investigation. Can Fiona and Nathan crack the case or will the murderer getaway on a wave of deceit?
Join Fiona and the gang for a hot whodunit on the sandy beaches of Presque Isle, Pennsylvania!
Book Details:
Book Title: Tastes Like Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #4
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 202 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 46 minutesGenre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Nov 23, 2017
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
The bridesmaid dresses are ruffles and ruffles of ugly, one bridesmaid is trying to micro-manage…well, pretty much everything, and the bride-to-be is a total bridezilla! Wedding bells will soon be ringing, but as usual, Fiona is a bridesmaid and not a bride. As the maid of honor, how can Fiona keep the volatile pre-wedding festivities running smoothly?
The problem is abruptly solved when the bride drops over dead at the elegant wine-tasting wedding rehearsal. Yikes! Who poisoned the wine? The suspects are lining up, and Fiona finds herself at the top of the list! Double yikes! It’s a vintage murder case for Fiona, Detective Landry, and the gang. Cheers!
Book Title: Tastes Like Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #4
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 202 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 46 minutesGenre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Nov 23, 2017
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:
The bridesmaid dresses are ruffles and ruffles of ugly, one bridesmaid is trying to micro-manage…well, pretty much everything, and the bride-to-be is a total bridezilla! Wedding bells will soon be ringing, but as usual, Fiona is a bridesmaid and not a bride. As the maid of honor, how can Fiona keep the volatile pre-wedding festivities running smoothly?
The problem is abruptly solved when the bride drops over dead at the elegant wine-tasting wedding rehearsal. Yikes! Who poisoned the wine? The suspects are lining up, and Fiona finds herself at the top of the list! Double yikes! It’s a vintage murder case for Fiona, Detective Landry, and the gang. Cheers!
Book Details:
Book Title: Good Luck to Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #5
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 148 pages
Run Time: 3 hours, 49 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: June 1, 2018
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 148 pages
Run Time: 3 hours, 49 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: June 1, 2018
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:
Dreams, wishes, fantasies, and... murder?
Fiona's good friend and fellow teacher, Lucky Maguire leads everyone to believe he has won a huge jackpot! Only Lucky turns out not to be so lucky - he winds up dead and his supposed winning lottery ticket missing!
Yikes!
Did Lucky really win the lottery and if so, where is the ticket hidden?
Who knew for sure if he truly was Pittsburgh's newest millionaire?
Double yikes!
Join Fiona and the gang for this winning cozy mystery that's sure to keep you betting on the suspects!
Book Details:Book Title: Mambo and Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #6
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 160 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 9 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Three ballroom dancers were murdered over 40 years ago. Wow, that’s one old cold case. What’s more, the murderer, who was thought to have been killed during a police chase, has resurfaced in Pittsburgh. Yikes! How can that be?
Worse, ballroom dancing simply isn’t Detective Nathan Landry’s forte. After weeks of practice, Nathan still has two left feet. Can Fiona step in to guide Nathan through this dancing debacle or will it take 40 years for the detective to find his footing?
Double yikes! Join Fiona and detective Landry in this high-stepping whodunit!
Worse, ballroom dancing simply isn’t Detective Nathan Landry’s forte. After weeks of practice, Nathan still has two left feet. Can Fiona step in to guide Nathan through this dancing debacle or will it take 40 years for the detective to find his footing?
Double yikes! Join Fiona and detective Landry in this high-stepping whodunit!
Book Title: Saddle Up for Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #7
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 178 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 47 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: May 14, 2019
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:
Fiona is in total shock when her mother arrives unannounced on her doorstep. What’s going on? Why, she’s left Fiona’s father, that’s what. Yikes! Worse, a horse trainer is murdered outside his ex-wife’s home in Pittsburgh, and the trail leads directly to a Thoroughbred racetrack in the neighboring state of West Virginia. Get ready, because the suspects are mounting up and heading down the stretch. Whoa! Fiona and Detective Landry aren’t horsing around with this homicide!
Book Title: Bon Voyage to Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #8
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 198 pages
Run Time: 6 hours, 52 minutes
Genre: Cozy MysteryPublisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Nov 5, 2019
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:
Hooray! Fiona has finally convinced her boyfriend detective Nathan Landry to go on a romantic Caribbean cruise. Unfortunately, their fun on the high seas is interrupted by murder. It isn’t long before they discover a boatload of suspects, who have motives deeper than the ocean for wanting the victim out of their lives.
Book Details:
Book Title: Taking Notes on Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #9
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 184 pages
Run Time: 5 hours
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: May 19, 2020
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Title: Taking Notes on Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #9
Author: C.S. McDonald
Run Time: 5 hours
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: May 19, 2020
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:
Mysterious notes are showing up in Fiona’s kindergarten classroom, claiming a suicide from 2005 was actually a homicide. Detective Landry maintains the messages are too vague, possess no integrity, and do not warrant a review of the old case.
Fiona’s not convinced. She’s determined to find the author of the enigmatic notes and uncover the truth about a man who had many secrets and countless enemies, including Fiona’s mother and former suspect Nancy Quinn!
Can Fiona crack this cold case, and what will it take to get Detective Landry involved? Don’t miss taking notes on this murder!
Meet the Author:
For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg. Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh. The female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Next Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy! Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg. Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh. The female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Next Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy! Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Tour Schedule
Mar 1 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 1 - She Just Loves Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 2 - Laura's Interests – audiobook review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 3 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 3 – Gina Rae Mitchell – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 4 – Gina Rae Mitchell – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 4 - Laura's Interests – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 5 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of Good Like to Murder / giveaway
Mar 8 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 9 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 9 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 10 – My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 10 - Wickedly Romance – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 11 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 11 - Wickedly Romance – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 11 - Blooming with Books - audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 12 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 12 - Books Lattes & Tiaras – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 15 - Blooming with Books - audiobook review of Murder on Pointe
Mar 15 – She Just Loves Books – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder / giveaway
Mar 15 - Chit Chat with Charity - audiobook review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 16 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 16 - My Reading Journeys – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 17 – Westveil Publishing – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 17 - My Reading Journeys – book review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 18 – Musing of Souls – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 18 - Books for Books – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe
Mar 19 – Books Lattes & Tiaras – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 22 – Westveil Publishing – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 22 - Musing of Souls – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder
Mar 23 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder / giveaway
Mar 23 - Lisa's Reading – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 24 – My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 24 - Books for Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 25 – BookishKelly2020 – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 25 - Chit Chat with Charity - audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 26 - BookishKelly2020 – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 26 - Lisa's Reading – book review Tastes Like Murder / giveaway
Mar 1 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 1 - She Just Loves Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 2 - Laura's Interests – audiobook review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 3 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 3 – Gina Rae Mitchell – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 4 – Gina Rae Mitchell – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 4 - Laura's Interests – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 5 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of Good Like to Murder / giveaway
Mar 8 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 9 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 9 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 10 – My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 10 - Wickedly Romance – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 11 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 11 - Wickedly Romance – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 11 - Blooming with Books - audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 12 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 12 - Books Lattes & Tiaras – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 15 - Blooming with Books - audiobook review of Murder on Pointe
Mar 15 – She Just Loves Books – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder / giveaway
Mar 15 - Chit Chat with Charity - audiobook review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 16 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 16 - My Reading Journeys – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 17 – Westveil Publishing – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 17 - My Reading Journeys – book review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 18 – Musing of Souls – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 18 - Books for Books – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe
Mar 19 – Books Lattes & Tiaras – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 22 – Westveil Publishing – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 22 - Musing of Souls – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder
Mar 23 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder / giveaway
Mar 23 - Lisa's Reading – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 24 – My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 24 - Books for Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 25 – BookishKelly2020 – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 25 - Chit Chat with Charity - audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 26 - BookishKelly2020 – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 26 - Lisa's Reading – book review Tastes Like Murder / giveaway
Enter the Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for this lovely review of Murder on Pointe audiobook. I'm so glad you enjoyed Fiona and the gang!
ReplyDelete