Meet the Parker sisters…. Banking on Murder by Jonathan Whitelaw @JDWhitelaw13 @RedDogTweets @RousselMeggy #BankingOnMurder

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to my day on the blog tour for Banking On Murder by Jonathan Whitelaw which was published by Red Dog Press in both paperback and eBook on the third of December. You can purchase yourself a stunning copy directly from the Red Dog Press online store here: https://www.reddogpress.co.uk/product-page/banking-on-murder. Not only will you book come lovingly wrapped but shopping this way is a huge support to indie presses.
Thank-you to both Red Dog Press and Meggy for the invite to join this tour for the first in the Parker Sister series, as well as the gifted electronic copy to read in preparation. I loved it!

Martha Parker runs a small private detective agency in Glasgow with her two sisters, Helen and Geri. They specialise in catching cheating partners and those playing away from home. 
The Parkers are hired by the reclusive wife of a wealthy banker she suspects is breaking their vows, but when he shows up murdered, it’s up to Martha, Helen and Geri to prove the wife’s innocence in their most dangerous case yet.

I think Red Dog Press has become the home of some of my favourite books and is fast becoming the home of brilliant crime fiction and cosy mysteries. I have previously read Jonathan’s Devil series published by Urbane and adored his ability to write a criminally great mystery with a dashing of laugh out loud humour. This remains the same with the first in the Parker sister mystery series, Banking on Murder, the threads of humour and murderous mystery have been tied together to create this gripping read that will have you on the edge of your reading chair while also stifling a laugh at parts. Martha, Helen and Geri Parker are our three sisters, with a great family private investigator team comes the fair share of sibling squabbles, mainly due to their differentiating opinion of how to approach the case and maybe a slight rivalry between them to prove who is the best. Think the Charmed sisters but without the magical abilities and Book of Shadows. We have Martha, the oldest sister who is methodical, more of an observer before jumping to conclusions and actions. Then there’s the youngest Parker sister, Geri, a wild child but one who underneath it all fiercely loves her sisters. Finally, there’s Helen, who bounces between teams older and younger sister. Together, I loved the concept of a female and sisterly lead PI read, I feel that books like Banking on Murder are creating a new, amazing level of cosy crimes that can be fallen into and enjoyed.

So, we have chatted about my new favourite trio of female protagonists, now let us chat the storyline and writing. Immediately, as we begin Banking on Murder we are introduced to Martha, who is creeping, observing something in her home. We are quickly entrapped by the beginnings of what is set to be the cosiest of crime reads, one that is tinted with an arm-prickling whodunit, as well as creating the backdrop for what, I believe, is going to become one of my favourite series. As always, Jonathan has created a page-turner of a read, with nods to the classic principles of cosies, such as a Cluedo type death created at the centre of the storyline with seldom clues of who committed the crime. Our amateur trio of detectives must piece together the small pickings of clues to solve the culprit of the crime and their motivation behind it. Banking on Murder contains the perfect balance of fun and suspense, the likable characters and the unravelling mystery will have you hooked, hoping that the next cosy crime in the series isn’t too far behind.

If you’re looking for a read that can accompany you while you’re snuggled under a blanket, then this is the book I recommend for you. It’s cleverly written, keeps you turning the page and it’ll make you fall in love with the cosy genre all over again. Make sure to check out the previous and upcoming blog posts from amazing bloggers on the tour using the hashtag #BankingOnMurder and if you have already read it please share your thoughts to help us celebrate this bookish release!

Until next time,
Happy reading!