Social Insecurity by Kate Eileen Shannon Blog tour review & guest post

Social Insecurity
by Kate Eileen Shannon

Social Insecurity cover
Book Details
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: CreateSpace
Release Date: March 28, 2013
Number of Pages: 242

Synopsis
Brigid Kildare is not your typical hard boiled private eye. But she doesn’t pretend to be. No matrimonial. No child custody. No bodyguard or surveillance work. No process serving. Brigid is strictly data. Asset searches, background searches, computer security, pre-employment screening, and basically any type of records research is what she deals in. And you really could not expect anything else. After all, your average five foot tall, blue eyed, blond (one friend describes her as looking like a Christmas tree angel) is rarely the person you would send out after a bail jumper. Oh, and there is that whole one leg thing – ADA aside, most people don’t think of an amputee as the go to person for a security job.

But in SOCIAL INSECURITY, the first in the Brigid Kildare Mystery Series, professional PI, Brigid Kildare, turns amateur sleuth when old ladies in the Federal Hill area of Providence start to go missing and she can’t get the police to believe her. As her assistant and long time friend, Kevin, puts it: “Honey, if an old lady like Jessica Fletcher can do it, a one-legged PI and her gay PA can do it too!” Brigid solves the mystery, along with an odd cast of friends and family, but not before four old ladies have died, she has caught the eye of a handsome Providence detective, and she discovers that not everyone who is close to her is what they appear to be.

About Kate Eileen Shannon
Kate Eileen Shannon is a Writer, Artist, and sometimes Real Estate Agent – as she says, ‘a purveyor of ephemera and bagatelle’. Trifles. Little things. Here today, gone tomorrow. In other words, a little of this, a bit of that.

She has had three husbands and two children; lived in Ireland, Rhode Island, and Florida; owned a brake repair shop, an art gallery, a farm, and a boat building business; been a Realtor, a title examiner, a real estate closer, and a government employee which led her straight to being unemployed, laid off, made redundant.
Kate is currently living in Rhode Island overlooking the water and a lighthouse; with her husband, Dick Thomas (who won’t let her have a cat); where she spends her time painting, drawing, and of course working on the next book in the Brigid Kildare mystery series, MEDITATED MURDER.

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MY REVIEW:
4 STARS
I really liked Social Insecurity. Can't wait for the next one. I can see many ways for that book to go.
This is a cozy mystery new series. I would love that compound to live in. Fun cast of characters, kept me guessing about who the murder is.
This setting is in Rhode Island but it leaves the series able to go anywhere in the future.

Brigid Kildare is a P.I. who does computer only data information. She has only one leg but does not let it get in her way. She bought a city block and made a compound with three houses to be built with really condos. She lives in one and the third floor of hers is where her mom lives with her husband George. Her brother lives in one condo, her father, her good friend and the twins teacher. She has custody of her little brother and sister. Her new tenant is detective who works under her father .
Brigid is keeping some secrets even from her dad. She won a major lottery she is worth 200 million dollars. Plans to build one more house in complex. So room to add lots of new characters.

Brigid has noticed that three old ladies in her neighborhood have gone missing. No one believes her. Even her father. They did look in but they all moved out. They have no relations. Left letter to manager that they were moving but told no one. Brigid does not believe that. Their rent was only 300 dollars a month because Brigid was paying the rest.

Earl who is moving into her apartment with his two children is going to take a new look at the case especially now that a fourth woman has moved out. He can only do so much until it is proven to be a crime. Earl and Brigid used to be friends in kindergarden.

There are a lot of suspects. but no motives, no bodies until things start heating up and Brigid is attacked. The group of friends work together to try and figure out what happened to the Old ladies and when did it happen and why.
I would want to read this series. I hope the next book comes out soon.
I was given this ebook and asked to give honest review and be part of its blog tour.


GUEST POST: Kate Eileen Shannon
Thank you so much for having me on readalot.

I thought I would talk about some of the characters today because I touched on it a little bit on the last tour stop. I keep a ‘character bible’ because I don’t want to forget important facts about the character. I put down everything from date of birth to eye color to food favorites they may have expressed along the way. I notice when an author makes a mistake, contradicting something about a character mentioned in an earlier book in a series. But to keep them real in my mind, I also assign a picture to them. Sometimes just a picture I found someplace and sometimes someone I actually know. And when it is someone I actually know I give them some of the characteristics of that person – with their permission. Those people I have used don’t get at all confused but some people who know me do – I have to keep saying, “It is all fiction!!”

Except for one character who is very real. Mike Campbell. There really is a Mike Campbell. That’s his real name. He really is my handyman. And he really is as slow as portrayed in the book. If Mike tells me he’ll have something done tomorrow, I say, “So I can figure on two weeks?” The fictional Mike is so like the real Mike, I figured we would no longer be speaking. So either he is lying when he says he read the book or he is very understanding.

Brigid Kildare is based in large part on my late daughter. Because if she was still here, as soon as she knew I was writing a book, she would have insisted on being the star of it. Really an amputee, high heel loving, athletic, blue eyed blond who really was a bit bossy like in the book. And before anyone says gee, she slipped – Brigid is mentioned as being five feet tall and five feet two… Not a slip. Brigid lies about it. Comes out in book two.

Earl looks like a Providence Police officer (and Rick Fox) who I once sold a house to. No other similarities.

George looks like my husband but my husband has none of George’s bad qualities. But everyone who knows us recognizes him right away. Partly because when my husband introduces himself he says, “Dick Thomas. Hell of a guy.” I stole that with his permission.

Maurice is based on a pimp I used to know who was always trying to recruit me. He was extremely handsome and wore a cape. I saw him every morning as I dropped Brigid off at nursery school. He brought the children of his girls to school every morning. He was a very charming guy but I kept my office job.

Damien has a lot of my son’s qualities and his looks. The twins are based on a picture of adorable twin grandchildren of a friend of mine. We really did have an Old English Sheepdog named Kennedy. But the real Brigid’s horse was named Beau, not after Michael Collins as in the book. Aisling was the real Brigid’s best friend’s name but there the similarity ends. There really was a Kevin, named Kevin. He was my secretary many years ago and just as flamboyant as the fictional Kevin. Sadly, he passed away years ago. Patricia is not me in anything but a date of birth. Far too nice and not strong or a fighter like me as will be seen in the second book. Most of the other characters in this book are just pictures I found. Although there will be a real person with their real name in book two. I needed a witch so I got a real one’s permission.

So you see, the characters are fictional, just a few have some characteristics of some real people. I am actually planning to put the character bible on my website as soon a I get the time between my writing and blogging. That way, the readers will be able to ‘see’ the characters in their mind as they read the books. If they like to form their own image, that’s good too.

Thank you again for having me here and let me just mention the second book, Meditated Murder, will be available shortly. And as I am explaining on this tour, it is a serial as opposed to a series. Visit some of the other tour stops to find out what that means (no repetitive backstory). Be sure to comment at each stop to increase your chances of winning one of the books and be sure to leave your email address. I’ll be announcing the winners on my blog one week after the tour closes, on September 9th.

GIVEAWAY:Tour Participants
August 19 – Omnimystery News Guest Post
August 20 – Kaisy Daisy’s CornerReview & Guest Post
August 21 – Socrates’ Book Review Blog Guest Post
August 22 – Mommasez…Review & Guest Post
August 23 – readalot Review & Guest Post
August 25 - Chloe Gets A Clue Interview
August 26 – Dru’s Book Musings Guest Post
August 27 – Musings and Ramblings Review & Guest Post
August 28 – Melina’s Book Blog Guest Post
August 31 – Must Read Faster Review & Guest Post
September 1 – A Chick Who Reads Review & Guest Post
September 2 – THE SELF-TAUGHT COOK Review

5 autographed paperback books will be given away across the tour

with the entry being simply leaving a comment.

The chances of winning increases with blog visit each blog and leave a comment.