Blog Tour Stop: Rally Round the Corpse Review and Giveaway!

Hello fellow readers!

Today I'm hosting a tour stop for the fantastically funny mystery, Rally Round the Corpse. Read on to see my thoughts on the book and enter to win your very own copy!

Title: Rally 'Round the Corpse

Author: Hy Conrad

Publisher: Seven Realms Publishing

Published: May 29, 2012

Formats: Paperback, E-book

Pages: 337
Source: Received from author in exchange
for my honest review as part of blog tour

Synopsis:

It's been two years since her fiancé's death. Amy Abel needs to start over. What better way for a shy, risk-averse woman to start than to sink all her savings into a travel agency specializing in adventure? Her first project is a mystery road rally through the European countryside. At the starting line in Monte Carlo, Amy finds herself attracted to Marcus Alvarez, the most mysterious of her two dozen game-loving clients. But the rally gets off to a rocky start when an eccentric writer, the only person who knows the game's solution, is himself murdered back in New York. Who would kill a harmless mystery geek, and why are weird accidents beginning to happen along the way? To her horror, Amy discovers that this fictional mystery was based on a real, unsolved case, one that Marcus knows too much about. Now she has no choice but to join forces with Fanny, her domineering mother, and solve this on her own, before the killer strikes again.

My Rating:

4 Solid Stars!

Melissa's Musings:

I have to admit, I'm not a big mystery fan. But, when I got the invitation to be on this book tour, I jumped on it because the plot seemed like a lot of fun. Who could pass up the chance to read about a traveling expedition based around a mystery game? Think, Clue but more adventurous.

The great thing about this story is that there isn't just one mystery to solve. There are multiple mysteries, and not all of them are fictional. One of the fun details in this book is that the mystery for the rally tour is based on a real crime. And that's where things get tricky. A few of the people on the tour were individuals who are in some way connected to the real crime. 

Everyone in this book has secrets. Especially Amy, the tour director. There are things she doesn't want to admit to herself. Like how she feels responsible for her fiancee's death. And how she is starting to have feelings for Marcus. The romance between Marcus and Amy is by no means simple, but it is sweet. They fit well together. They also clash just enough to keep you wondering if they're really right for each other.

I really enjoyed the variety of characters in this book. There are a lot of them, but the great thing about the structure is that you aren't overloaded with details,or confused by the sheer number of the characters. They are all well fleshed out, and have separate, distinct personalities. A few of my favorites have to be Holly and Fanny. 

Holly is a snarky, smart twelve year old, who's accompanying her uncle on the mystery tour. She's bold, and not afraid to speak her mind. I felt bad for her, since the tour was full of adults and she always seemed to be getting pushed to the side, but she managed to hold her own.

Fanny is my favorite because she loves a challenge. She's the master of persuasion, and a great extractor of information. She sells honeymooning couples African safari trips without batting an eye. Dress up in a wacky disguise and make claim to taco recipes to get close to an important family? She'll do it. Fanny gets so engrossed in the roles that you'll find yourself laughing out loud when she adds in unneccessary details, or hatches crazy plans like having Marcus escape detection by sneaking out into a neighbor's garden and through their house.

She's also a bit of a meddler, at least when it comes to Amy's love life. As mothers are apt to be, I suppose. This could have gone either way, and this personality trait could have come off as really annoying, but actually it's very sweet, and you can see that for all her meddling, she really has Amy's best interests at heart.

I don't know if it's just because I don't read many mysteries, or the fact that I got so swept up in the story, but I definitely did not have this one figured out by the end, at all. There are some unique twists and turns and some oddball characters that really keep you on your toes.

A great story for anyone new to mysteries or someone who's already a big fan.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

Giveaway Details:

As a part of this blog tour stop one person will win their very own copy of Rally Round the Corpse!

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY*

*If the winner is in the US, they will have their choice of e-book or print copy. An International winner will get an e-book only.
This giveaway will run until February 15, 2013 at Midnight PST
Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond to their notification email, otherwise another winner will be chosen.
The author NOT Melissa's Midnight Musings is responsible for sending the prize to the winner.

Enter to win Below!:

a Rafflecopter giveaway