The Blurb
Who killed Professor Abby Monroe?
When Kellan Ayrwick returns home for his father’s retirement, he finds a dead body in Diamond Hall’s stairwell. Unfortunately, Kellan has a connection to the victim, and so do several members of his family.
Soon after, the college's athletic program receives mysterious donations, a nasty blog denounces his father and someone attempts to change students' grades.
Someone is playing games on campus, but none of the facts add up.
With the help of his eccentric and trouble-making nana, Kellan tries to stay out of the sheriff’s way. But who is behind the murder?
When Kellan Ayrwick returns home for his father’s retirement, he finds a dead body in Diamond Hall’s stairwell. Unfortunately, Kellan has a connection to the victim, and so do several members of his family.
Soon after, the college's athletic program receives mysterious donations, a nasty blog denounces his father and someone attempts to change students' grades.
Someone is playing games on campus, but none of the facts add up.
With the help of his eccentric and trouble-making nana, Kellan tries to stay out of the sheriff’s way. But who is behind the murder?
Academic Curveball by James J. Cudney
Series: Braxton Campus Mystery, #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Academic Mystery
Publication Date: October 14, 2018
Independently Published
Paperback: 281 pages
ISBN-10: 172877876X
ISBN-13: 978-1728778761
Digital ASIN: B07HMYSQFH
ISBN-10: 172877876X
ISBN-13: 978-1728778761
Digital ASIN: B07HMYSQFH
The Review
I just finished a really good book, y'all — Academic Curveball by James J. Cudney. Let me tell you about it.
Academic Curveball is the first book in the Braxton Campus Mysteries. It stars the believable, relatable Kellan Ayrwick. I enjoyed the witty dialogue between him and the quirky secondary characters, especially his Nana D.
The plot of Academic Curveball held my attention throughout the book. The mystery is plausible, with twists and turns galore. The multiple red herrings kept me guessing, and I was surprised by whodunit.
Academic Curveball has quite an unexpected twist at the end, which left me eager and anxious to read Book Two in the series, Broken Heart Attack. The Braxton Campus Mysteries are off to a great start with Academic Curveball. This is a series that I will definitely continue with.
I recommend Academic Curveball to fans of cozy mysteries, especially academic cozies. I really enjoyed Academic Curveball by James J. Cudney, and grant it Four Kitties.
Four out of five kitties
and voluntarily reviewed it. All opinions shared are 100% my own.
The Author
About James J. Cudney
James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College with a degree in English literature. I spent fifteen years building a technology career in the retail, sports, media, and entertainment industries. I enjoyed my job, but a passion for books and stories had been missing for far too long. I’m a voracious reader in my favorite genres (thriller, suspense, contemporary, mystery, and historical fiction), as books transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in so many fantastic cultures and places. I’m an avid genealogist who hopes to visit all the German, Scottish, Irish, and British villages my ancestors emigrated from in the 18th and 19th centuries. I frequently blog and publish book reviews on everything I read at ThisIsMyTruthNow via WordPress.
Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind, and my body. I decided to pursue my passion by dusting off the creativity inside my head and drafting outlines for several novels. I quickly realized I was back in my element growing happier and more excited with life each day. My goal in writing is to connect with readers who want to be part of great stories and who enjoy interacting with authors. To get a strong picture of who I am, check out my author website or my blog. It’s full of humor and eccentricity, sharing connections with everyone I follow — all in the hope of building a network of friends across the world.
When I completed the first book, Watching Glass Shatter
, I knew I’d stumbled upon my passion again, suddenly dreaming up characters, plots, and settings all day long. I chose my second novel, Father Figure, through a poll on my blog where I let everyone vote for their favorite plot and character summaries. It is with my third book, Academic Curveball, the first in the Braxton Campus Mysteries, where I immersed myself in a college campus full of so much activity, I could hardly stop thinking about new murder scenes or character relationships to finish writing the current story. Come join in the fun!
, I knew I’d stumbled upon my passion again, suddenly dreaming up characters, plots, and settings all day long. I chose my second novel, Father Figure, through a poll on my blog where I let everyone vote for their favorite plot and character summaries. It is with my third book, Academic Curveball, the first in the Braxton Campus Mysteries, where I immersed myself in a college campus full of so much activity, I could hardly stop thinking about new murder scenes or character relationships to finish writing the current story. Come join in the fun!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4
The Giveaway
Follow the tour, to read other reviews, plus Guest Posts and an Author Interview!
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
January 7 - The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
January 7 - Mythical Books – REVIEW
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January 14 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW
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January 15 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
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