Review: 'Precious' by Zanna Mackenzie (2014)

Who would want to murder former pop star Flynn Garrison? 
That’s exactly what Amber Reed, the Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency’s newest recruit, needs to find out. 
She’s desperate to get to grips with her first assignment and prove she’s up to the job but there’s a lot at stake… and it’s not only her new career that’s on the line. 
Is mixing business and pleasure ever a good idea? Will her relationship with fellow CCIA agent Charlie survive the challenge of the two of them working together? 
And then there’s agent extraordinaire Martha, a man-eating six foot blonde goddess, also assigned to this murder investigation, who clearly has designs on Charlie. 
Trying to uncover who killed Flynn and why whisks Amber from glamorous red carpet film premiere, to learning Scottish dancing at a Highland party in a grand country house - and the distinct possibility of becoming the murderer’s next victim. 
Can Amber solve the case and still keep her relationship with Charlie on track?
Today I've got a review for a book that's both written by a lovely author and part of a thoroughly enjoyable book series to share with all of you! 'Precious' is the second part of author Zanna Mackenzie's romantic comedy/murder mystery 'Amber Reed CCIA Mystery' series, and the sequel to 'And the Earth Moved', which I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing last year (click here to read my review). I really liked the beginning of the series and was excited to start reading 'Precious', which was first released in December 2014, and once again be back with the same main characters, Amber and Charlie!
Amber Reed is really excited about her new job working for the CCIA, the Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency. After her intensive training, she's ready to go into the field and is asked to help out and investigate the death of former pop star and teen idol Flynn Garrison. The case not only brings her to the shores of Scotland, but also requires her to work together with fellow CCIA agents Charlie, who also happens to be her boyfriend, and the beautiful and flirty Martha. Amber knows there's a lot on the line; she needs to do well on this case in order to secure her job. But is mixing business with pleasure a good idea or will it only cause trouble for both Amber and Charlie and their relationship?
Another entertaining and fast-paced read by Zanna Mackenzie, and one that has certainly made me want to keep an eye on any other parts of the 'Amber Reed CCIA Mystery' series that might be coming our way in the future! 'Precious' is the second part of this book series and while it can definitely be read as a stand-alone, I personally preferred already knowing the characters' backgrounds and how Amber got to work for the CCIA. Amber is a heroine that's really easy to like; she's determined to prove herself as a new agent, but at the same time she's quite insecure and worries about a lot of things, which made me relate to her quite easily. Charlie is a handsome male lead and I really liked that the character of Martha was added to the mix, stirring things up a bit between Charlie and Amber.
I loved that the storyline included both the murder mystery, which was intriguing and had me guessing until the very end, but also some personal elements, such as Charlie and Amber's relationship and the secret Martha seems to be hiding from them. I've seen other reviews in which the book is described as a 'cosy mystery' and I have to agree with that description. I loved the combination of romance, chick lit, and murder mystery, especially combined with Zanna Mackenzie's comfortable and well-paced writing style. Overall, 'Precious' is a thoroughly entertaining and intriguing chick lit read with a good dose of murder mystery at its core; a great second part of the 'Amber Reed CCIA Mystery' series and I'm already keeping my fingers crossed for a third book!

Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'And the Earth Moved' by Zanna Mackenzie (2015)

One minute you're at work making up horoscopes for the local paper, the next you're teaming up with a sexy secret agent called Charlie and trying to help solve a case for the Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency... 
Amber’s making up the horoscopes for the local paper and wishing for some excitement in her life when she gets a phone call offering her just that. The call? Heartthrob actor Ennis McKarthy, her old uni boyfriend, begs her for a favour. His brother Joel has been found is dead - in very suspicious circumstances. Desperate to keep the story out of the newspapers and solve the mystery of his brother’s death as fast as possible, Ennis has called in the specialists in the shape of the CCIA. The Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency has just the man for the job – their top agent Charlie Huxton. 
But Ennis, stalked by journalists and paparazzi, doesn’t trust a stranger to handle the case on his own and keep quiet about what he might discover so he pleads with Amber, wanting her to shadow Charlie throughout the investigation. Much to Amber’s surprise Charlie eventually agrees, leaving her wondering why. What’s he up to? 
Charlie and Amber delve into Joel’s death and soon have their hands full with questioning potential suspects and the victim’s irate ex-girlfriend. Then they discover they’re battling something far more dangerous than they could ever have expected…and it’s not just their growing attraction for each other. Maybe Amber’s life is about to get too exciting…
Last year I was contacted by author Zanna Mackenzie and got the chance to read and review her novel 'If You Only Knew', a romantic comedy which I ended up really enjoying (click here to read my review). So, when Zanna got into touch about another one of her books, 'And the Earth Moved', which was released at the end of 2014, I looked forward to sitting down with a new story of hers. This one also happens to be the first part of a new romance and mystery series that focuses on the CCIA, the Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency. The description of the story definitely appealed to me, so as I started reading I was hoping for a fun and enjoyable read!
Amber Reed's life isn't that exciting. During the day she works as a horoscope writer for a local paper and in the evenings she's a bar maid in a pub. However, Amber's life is suddenly shaken up when she is contacted by her ex-boyfriend Ennis McKarthy, who is now a famous actor, after his brother Joel has been found dead. Amber immediately goes to Ennis to see what has happened: was it an accident, suicide, or perhaps murder? Amber quickly meets Charlie Huxton, an agent for the CCIA (Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency) who has been hired by Ennis to get to the bottom of things. Yet, Ennis doesn't trust Charlie 100%, so he asks Amber to keep track of things and follow Charlie. At first, Amber isn't so sure, but as the plot thickens and as she gets to know Charlie, she simply no longer can't seem to stay away until the case has been solved.
'And the Earth Moved' is the first part of the Amber Reed CCIA series and definitely a promising start. Zanna Mackenzie's writing style flows at a good pace and is really easy to get into. I quickly warmed to the main protagonist, Amber, and leading man Charlie has a bit of a James Bond feel to him which I think numerous female readers will definitely enjoy! Both characters are well-drawn and I loved seeing the relationship between them develop as the story progressed. It was easy to connect to all of the different characters, whether it's liking them or disliking them (or doubting them; it's a mystery after all!). 
I personally really enjoyed the mix of genres, since the novel has both romantic comedy and mystery/detective elements. I really enjoyed the focus on the characters and the relationships between them, but I was also intrigued by the murder and discovering who had done it and what exactly had happened. The story also wasn't very predictable, so I just wanted to keep on reading to find out all the details. 'And the Earth Moved' is a light, captivating, entertaining read filled with both romance and mystery. Zanna Mackenzie has one again delivered a fun and thoroughly enjoyable read and I already look forward to the next part of this new book series!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review & Interview: 'If You Only Knew' by Zanna Mackenzie (2014)

Faith owns The Coffee Pot in the outdoor adventure sports mecca of Derbyshire's Peak District. She hasn't had a man in her life for a while, as she has been too busy serving cakes to weary rock climbers and mountain bikers to find time for the complications of a relationship with the male of the species. Then Zane and Matt arrive on the scene as the new owners of the Carrdale Adventure Sports Centre. Dating Zane, she soon discovers he's not the Mr Perfect she thought he was; and why is he so reluctant to talk about his past? As for Matt - well, to Faith he isn't Matt at all because he was a completely different person when he broke her heart all those years ago. With her new boyfriend and her first love running Carrdale as business partners - Matt out to cause trouble and Zane keeping secrets - Faith struggles to keep the peace between them whilst trying to figure out how she feels about the two men in her life...
In the modern times that we live in I see more and more people around me switching from actual books to carrying an e-reader around with them. It’s easy to take with you, you can store numerous books on them, and it’s a handy device. I know e-readers have lots of advantages, but I have to admit I’m quite old-fashioned and definitely prefer to have a real paper version of a book in my hands; I don’t see that changing any time soon! However, I do have an I-Pad with the Kindle app on it, so I can occasionally make exceptions and review an e-book every now and again (I guess I have to go with the times in a way, right?). The lovely Zanna Mackenzie e-mailed me about possibly reviewing her novel ‘If You Only Knew’ a few weeks ago, and I simply couldn’t resist the pretty pink cover and the fascinating-sounding blurb!
Faith is the happy owner of her own cafe, The Coffee Pot, in the beautiful and rural Peak District. The past couple of years she has been completely focused on her business, which means there hasn’t been time for a man to take in a special place in her life. However, things are about to change when business partners Zane and Matt, the two handsome new owners of the Carrdale Adventure Sports Centre, arrive in town. Faith quickly falls for the attractive but slightly reserved Zane, but it doesn’t take long before she discovers Matt is actually her ex-boyfriend Aaron, who broke her heart several years earlier. Matt seems to be out to cause trouble and it’s the question whether the relationship between Faith and Zane is strong enough to overcome all the oncoming obstacles...
I loved the setting of this novel. The Peak District is a beautiful part of the UK and I somehow really enjoyed the outdoor sports vibe, while I am definitely not the sporty type myself. I could easily imagine all the scenes, the sports centre that Zane and Matt have decided to build up together, Faith’s lovely and warm coffee shop... I haven’t read anything quite like this before, when talking about setting, and that is something I personally really enjoyed. Yet, the novel is much more than that. There is a good mix of realistic and easily likeable characters, specifically the three people that form the love triangle that is at the core of this novel: Faith, Zane, and Matt. They are three different but intriguing characters and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering more about them and their backgrounds.
Unexpectedly, this story really had me guessing and that didn’t stop until the last few pages of the book. There were definitely some parts of the story I did not see coming which made the story only stronger. ‘If You Only Knew’ is a great, gentle-paced, comfortable read that is perfect for a lazy rainy afternoon, and I personally look forward to discovering more of Zanna Mackenzie’s work in the future!
Rating:

8/10
For more information about this book: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Goodreads

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Author Interview with Zanna Mackenzie
I'm delighted to welcome Zanna Mackenzie to the blog today to tell us more about her novel 'If You Only Knew' and her future plans as an author!

Can you tell us something about your new novel, ‘If You Only Knew’?
It revolves around three main characters and the many secrets, fears and emotions they’re keeping from each other. More information can be found in the blurb!

Where did you find the inspiration for ‘If You Only Knew’? Is it in any way based on your own personal experiences?

Does it sound weird if I say I don’t know about where the inspiration, plot and characters come from? It probably does. Before I started writing fiction I used to read interviews with authors and they would say they had characters and plot ideas pop into their heads out of nowhere. I thought it was a bit strange back then but now that’s what happens to me! The initial idea for 'If You Only Knew' could have been sparked by watching something on TV about Derbyshire’s Peak District, or rock climbing, or trendy coffee shops – or all three! After that I knew I wanted the men in the book to be outdoor extreme sports instructors and the woman to be running her own business, in this case the coffee shop. As I worked on creating the biogs for the characters their stories started to unfold and their personalities, issues and fears developed from there.

Which character in the novel did you most enjoy writing about and why? 

I would say it was probably the character of Matt, which surprises me a bit! I’ve never created a character like Matt before, he was a challenge, and I was amazed to find myself thinking how much I was enjoying writing his scenes. He’s a bit of a bad boy and the kind of character I would really dislike if I was reading him in somebody else’s book. I remember a book reviewer saying she hated Matt with a passion when she started the book but she was shocked to find that, as his story unfolded, by the end of the novel she had completely changed her opinion of him.

Why did you decide to use this particular setting for the novel?

I enjoy setting my books in some of my favourite locations in the UK and have written novels set in the Scottish Highlands, North Yorkshire and now, in 'If You Only Knew', the Peak District of Derbyshire. I live only one hour’s drive away from Derbyshire and have visited the area a lot of times over the years. I’m quite an outdoorsy person myself so I loved the idea of all the hiking, mountain biking, climbing and paragliding which goes on in the Peak District and wanted to incorporate that into the novel. I confess though, whilst I’m a keen hiker, I wasn’t tempted to try climbing or paragliding in the name of research!

The fictitious village in 'If You Only Knew' was inspired by the real village of Castleton in the Peaks. I was fascinated by the area around Castleton with all the caves and hills, it’s a real outdoor and extreme sports mecca. I recently discovered the joys of Pinterest and had fun setting up a mood board for 'If You Only Knew' which contains pictures of the village, the scenery, how Faith’s coffee shop might look and photos of the famous people who visually inspired the characters of Zane, Faith and Matt. The 'If You Only Knew' Pinterest board can be viewed by clicking here.  

Can you perhaps tell us something about your future plans as an author? Are you already working on a next novel?

I have 4 ‘work in progress’ novels but I really need to pick one and just focus on that otherwise I’ll never get my next book written! I think the book I’ll aim to complete next is the one about the down side of dating a famous actor. 

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

Do not give up. I gave up on writing several times when I got disillusioned and it is only because my husband nagged me to start sending the books I’d written out to publishers back in 2012 that my books have got to see the light of day. I sent one book to a publisher in America and another to a UK publisher and told myself to forget about them whilst mentally preparing myself for the rejection emails. Within one month the American publisher came back and said they loved the book and offered me a contract. I couldn’t believe it, I was stunned. I cried. I danced around the room. One week later an email arrived from the UK publisher about the other book and they offered me a contract too. Cue more crying and dancing around the room! If my husband hadn’t coaxed me into sending my writing to publishers then I’d never have got to feel so thrilled and privileged at having my books published.

What is the last book you read that you’d like to recommend to others?

Martina Reilly’s 'Even Better Than The Real Thing'. I loved this book and would put it in my top three books I’ve ever read. It’s wonderfully written and has an unusual plot involving forged art which is immensely intriguing. As well as the twists and turns on the art forgery mystery side of things in the book there’s a page turner of a will-they-won’t-they between the two main characters. It’s a touching, surprising, and at times humorous romantic mystery suspense and a gripping read.

And last but not least, if you had to describe ‘If You Only Knew’ in just three words, which words would you pick?

I would say the book is about three things – love, confusion, trust.

Thanks so much, Zanna!

Find out more about Zanna at:

Blog: www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZannaMacKenzie

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zanna.mackenzie