Jane Reads: The Precious Pachyderm by Karen Christino | Blog Tour with Excerpt, Review, and Giveaway

The Blurb

Manhattan, 1926. A wealthy businessman found dead. A priceless elephant figurine from an extravagant Indian prince gone missing. And famous astrologer Evangeline Adams is a primary suspect. To save their jobs, Adams’ assistants Mary Adler and Clara Cosentino investigate the astrologer’s classy clients, oddball employees and offbeat associates to help discover who really committed the crime. And Evangeline solves her first case with the help of astrology in this funny, fast-paced whodunit.

The Precious Pachyderm by Karen Christino
Series: An Evangeline Adams Mystery, #1)
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery
Release Date: June 15, 2016
Publisher: Stella Mira Books
Paperback: 262 pages
ISBN-10: 0972511733
ISBN-13: 978-0972511735
eBook File Size: 4252 KB
ASIN: B01H5SI59M
Amazon | B&N | BAM! | Kobo | IndieBound | Goodreads

The Excerpt

Evangeline sat back in her chair, straightened her spectacles on her nose as if to collect her thoughts, took a breath and continued. “Now, Jeannie. I know you have a good feeling for the dogs, which is why I wanted to offer you this position. But you must always remember that you are their guardian. It is your duty to be sure they’re kept from harm. And they do have minds of their own. They are royal beings, you see, these Pekingese. They guarded the Emperor of China for over four centuries and their spiritual side was so developed that the Panchen Lamas kept them as well. They’ve been bred to be special for so long that they consider themselves entitled, and I spoil them dreadfully, too, I’m afraid.” Evangeline paused as she looked around and smiled at her beloved pets. “In a way, they are my children.” Jeannie smiled too, and nodded in understanding. Lover looked like a little gargoyle, passively bearing witness to every word. Like their mistress, they seemed relaxed and complacent during most of the visits to Evangeline’s office. If anything, they were generally unaffected by the range of emotions often displayed there, and enjoyed the company.

“But look here: you must show them who’s boss, that’s the cardinal rule,” Evangeline said. “Because they can be willful. Lover, especially. He’s a Leo and their leader, and is used to getting his way. He does have that male Leo flaw: he has an ego.”

The Review

I just read a really good book, y'all — The Precious Pachyderm by Karen Christino, Book One in the Evangeline Adams Mystery series. Let me tell you a little about it.

The main character, Evangeline Adams, is an actual historical figure, a real-life astrologer. (To learn how Author Karen Christino chose Adams as the subject of her mystery novel, read her blog post "How Evangeline Adams Became a Detective.") Christino mentions other historical figures in The Precious Pachyderm, such as Florence (Mrs Warren G) Harding, Charles Schwab, Will Rogers, and Coco Chanel. I enjoyed the addition of history to the mystery.

The plot is entertaining and clever, and made me feel like I was really there. The engaging characters captured my attention right away. I look forward to reading more about her world, as I continue with The Evangeline Adams Mystery series.

I recommend The Precious Pachyderm to anyone looking for a great historical cozy. I really enjoyed The Precious Pachyderm by Karen Christino, and bestow upon it Four Kitties!

Four out of five kitties

Note: I received a complimentary copy of The Precious Pachyderm, and voluntarily reviewed it.

All opinions shared are 100% my own.

The Author

About Karen Christino

Karen Christino is an author, astrologer and researcher who’s written six books on astrology as well as horoscope columns for Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Life & Style magazines, among many others. She was the astrologer for Modern Bride and Your Prom for ten years and has also written hundreds of articles for astrology journals. Karen has researched astrological forecasting, cross-cultural astrologies and many other metaphysical topics. Her greatest interest lies in the history of astrology, which led her to write Foreseeing the Future: Evangeline Adams and Astrology in America, a biography of the life and predictions of America’s famous turn-of-the-century astrologer, and What Evangeline Adams Knew, which examines Adams’ astrological techniques. Her mystery novel, The Precious Pachyderm, features Evangeline as the sleuth.

A second-generation astrologer, Karen Christino began studying astrology as a teenager and was a consulting astrologer for over twenty years. She's studied Zen, Reiki and the Edgar Cayce readings, and practices yoga and meditation. Karen is accredited by the National Council for Geocosmic Research, and was awarded research grants from the New York chapter of the NCGR. She has a B.A. in English from Colgate University, also studied at Columbia University, and lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband.

Visit Karen Christino on the web at these locations: