The Last Gasp + Giveaway

At the pinnacle of his Hollywood career, Garrison Prince’s reign ends tonight.

As plain old Gary Prinz, he can pursue his Bible education, buy a bungalow in Pasadena, acquire a few chickens, and marry the girl of his dreams. He just never imagined trading the silver screen for a pulpit would wreak such havoc.

A cigarillo girl, Lucinda Ashton spends her days with her boyfriend, Gary, and her evenings selling candy and “gaspers” to the Hollywood elite at the Taj Mahal Theater.

However, when gunshots ring out just as intermission begins, Lucinda finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a brouhaha that leaves three dead, and no one has a clue why.

All the police know is that the evidence points to Lucinda as the killer and Gary as the intended target.

Four new friends, one young orphan, and a potluck of clues that don’t seem to fit anywhere leave the police baffled, Lucinda in fear for her freedom, and Gary ready to trade in his acting shoes for gumshoes if it’ll save his “Cinda.”

The first book in the Ever After Mysteries combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries, The Last Gasp. This Cinderella retelling blends a murder with enough crime and story clues to keep you on the edge of your seat.

My Review:

Seriously, how did I not know there was a whole reimagined fairy-tale mystery series roaming around in bibliophile land?! Aptly titled ‘The Ever After Mysteries’ and Chautona Havig’s ‘The Last Gasp’ is the first book and my introduction to the series.

The book cover sets the tone with the campy, atmospheric ‘classic mystery’ influence which the story carries on. This reads very much like a golden age mystery. It’s set in the right era and I love the author’s use of the ‘current’ slang to add authenticity to the time and setting.

I’m not a Hollywood fan in this decade but, ironically, I had a huge fascination for the industry in it’s infancy. Did an extensive high school project on silent movies so this turned into an unexpectedly nostalgic read for me. 🙂

So, we have Hollywood glam vs poor working girl which lends itself beautifully to the Cinderella detailing…only not in a predictable way. I love how the author included all those beloved fairy tale elements in such a topsy turvy manner. They cropped up unexpectedly throughout the story and I got a bookish thrill every single time. Such fun. And so clever!

The mystery was pretty easy to solve (perhaps because of the fairy tale element) but I had a great time watching Gary and Cinda piecing together the clues. And, for an author who claims to not like romance, this one is pretty sighworthy!

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition to ‘The Last Gasp’, narrated by Christa DelSorbo.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the The Last Gasp, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 25 2024.