Cynthia Kuhn, Giveaway, News

New Release: The Study of Secrets

The Study of Secrets–book 5 in the Lila Maclean Academic Mystery series–is now available wherever books are sold!

Here’s what it’s about:

There could be nowhere more fitting for English professor Lila Maclean to spend her sabbatical than in a proper Victorian mansion. The whimsical Callahan House seems to have materialized from the pages of the mystery novels she is researching, with its enchanting towers, cozy nooks, and charming library. Unfortunately, it also features a body in the study.

Residents of Larkston have long believed that the Callahan family is cursed—the murder on the estate sets the town buzzing. Wild rumors are fueled by a gossipy blogger who delights in speculation, and further crimes only intensify the whispers and suspicions. A newly discovered manuscript, however, appears to expose startling facts beneath the fictions. When Lila steps in to sort the truth from the lies, it may cost her everything, as someone wants to make dead certain that their secrets stay hidden.

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Here’s what people are saying about it:

“In The Study of Secrets, award-winning author Cynthia Kuhn once again offers mystery lovers what they crave most: a smart, thoughtful, and fiercely-determined heroine; an intriguing puzzle; an idyllic setting, and a cast of suspects worthy of Agatha Christie—with a charming side of humor.” — Lisa Q. Mathews, author of The Ladies Smythe & Westin Mysteries

“Kuhn earns top marks with The Study of Secrets, her best academic mystery yet. Heroine Lila Maclean uncovers secrets both old and new, the most exciting revealed to her at the very end. Outstanding!” — Margaret Mizushima, author of the award-winning Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries

“With The Study of Secrets, Cynthia Kuhn resurrects the gothic settings, keenly observed characters, and tricky puzzles of the Golden Age of detection. You’ll be up all night finishing it!” — Angela M. Sanders, author of the Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing Mysteries

“Witty and smart, Lila Maclean is everyone’s favorite English professor. In her latest adventure, secrets abound, and only Lila can decipher fact from fiction. An atmospheric mansion, a missing manuscript, and a haunting disappearance add to the novel’s appeal. But it’s the fast-paced plot that will keep readers up long past their bedtimes, unraveling clues to multiple mysteries. A delightful read by one of my favorite authors!” — Mary Angela, author of the Professor Prather Mysteries and Happy Camper Mysteries

“Cynthia Kuhn’s Lila Maclean series has been a welcome addition to the academic mystery canon, and I am happy to report that her newest, The Study of Secrets, only continues to delight. With its smart and intrepid protagonist, witty writing, and insightful look into the power struggles that erupt when literary and academic egos collide, this clever and puzzling whodunit earns top marks in my book.” — Leslie Karst, Lefty Award-nominated author of the Sally Solari Mysteries

“Cynthia Kuhn has done it again! The Study of Secrets is a well-crafted and engaging mystery.” — Debra H. Goldstein, Agatha- and Anthony-nominated author of the Sarah Blair Mysteries

“The Study of Secrets hooked me on page one and refused to let go until I’d stayed up well past my bedtime to finish. The always likable Lila Maclean will keep you cheering for her and worrying about her as she faces a cast of characters who vary from mysterious to quirky to downright sinister. With secrets abounding, Lila—and the reader—must constantly question who they can trust. Beautifully written, The Study of Secrets teems with fascinating characters, a maze of a plot, and description so deep and real, you can smell the woodsmoke mingling with the pines.” — Annette Dashofy, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Zoe Chamber Mystery Series

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Here’s your VIP ticket for the launch party:

You’re invited to the Facebook launch party for The Study of Secrets and Read or Alive by Nora Page, hosted by A Cozy Experience! Join us Wednesday May 27, 2020 at 7 pm CDT for book chat, fun, and giveaways.

In the meantime, please visit the event page, click “going,” and invite your friends! The more, the merrier.

Once the party begins, all you have to do is click on the discussions tab to participate!

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And here’s where you can go buy it:

Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Bookshop  IndieBound  iTunes  Kobo

 

Hoping you can be with us on Facebook tomorrow…but today, it’s confetti time here at Chicks!  🎉🎉

For a chance to win an e-book of The Study of Secrets, please leave a comment below and tell us: (1) If you’ve read the Lila Maclean series, which one is your favorite so far and why? or (2) What are your favorite books or movies about schools? One winner will be randomly selected–the name will be posted at the end of the comments tomorrow.

35 thoughts on “New Release: The Study of Secrets”

  1. This book sounds so exciting! Congrats Cynthia.
    What an intrigue. A retreat place that sounds perfect for me. Lots of places to hide and read? Yay! Although I do have one academic question for you. Why do teachers take this sabbatical thing? Its mandatory right? What does one do on sabbatical?
    I think books about schools are fun, because it shows teachers as people, not just academia. I am always looking out for ones about colleges especially.

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    1. Thank you, Hestia! And yes more places to hide and read!! Those are the best kinds of places… 😉

      Sabbaticals give professors time to focus on and to further their professional development–do research, write, lead projects, gain additional training, etc. Not sure if they’re mandatory–you have to apply for them at my school–but they are highly desirable.

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  2. Congratulations, Cynthia! The Study of Secrets was downloaded onto my Kindle app bright and early this morning. The gothic mansion setting sounds spooky. I enjoy reading academic-themed mysteries. I had worked at the University of Toronto for 4 years so I can relate to the goings-on in academia and how hard it is to get tenure. My favourite book so far is The Subject of Malice. See you at tomorrow’s FB launch party with Nora! Read or Alive is another fun read.

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    1. Bright and early this morning? Aw! Thanks so much, Grace. (Hope you enjoy!!)

      What did you do at U of T? What a wonderful school! I spent a month there one summer doing research at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book library. Loved every minute of it.

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      2. Yes, like 4:30 am early, Cynthia! Our climate change research group at Environment Canada was embedded at 6 universities across Canada, We had been with the Institute for Environmental Studies (IES) at UofT since 1995. My time with the IES group was from 2001-2005. We were adjunct faculty and did collaborative research and taught graduate level courses there. It was a lot of fun!

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      3. That sounds amazing, Grace! How great. (I was there in the late 90s. It would have been so much fun if we were there at the same time and knew each other and met for dinners and coffees on Bloor Street!)

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      4. Yes, it would have been cool to have had dinner together on Bloor Street. So many good restaurants in the Annex! I am envious that you got to spend a month at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book library. I never got to visit there. I spent plenty of time at the Robards library, though.

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  4. Happy release day, Cynthia! I love the Lila Maclean series. Book one is probably my favorite because I could relate to all of the senseless meetings Lila had to attend. Then again, I really enjoyed book three too, because that awful play was so ridiculous it was hilarious. So hard to decide! (I haven’t made it past book three yet.)

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  6. Squee! I love it when I pre-order books because then they show up and surprise me … since I never know what day it is anymore. Charging up my vintage, first-generation Kindle so it’s ready when I can start to read! Congrats on what I KNOW will be another slam-dunk!

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  7. Congratulations, Cynthia on your release! (I’ve preordered and happily awaiting my paperback.) So how does one pick a favorite Lila? It’s like picking a favorite rose. They are each sublime and perfect.

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    1. !!! Thank you very much, Keenan (sniff, sniff..don’t mind me just being all choked up over here by this and the other posts…SO incredibly nice and means a lot)!

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  8. So happy to wake up today to a brand new Lila officially in the world! Huge congrats, Cynthia–and I’m thrilled to be adding THE STUDY OF SECRETS to my library! I had the extreme good fortune to have a sneak peek at the story in ms., so while I await my book I already know how great it is. I think it might even be my favorite Lila, because the setting is perfection. See you at the party tomorrow, Cynthia!

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  13. How delightful! Can’t wait to read it! My favorite book about a school has to be Ralph McInerny’s very poorly veiled mysteries about Notre Dame, I completely forget the detective’s name — Phil somebody I think. Prof. McInerny was my Aquinas professor at ND and he was writing his Fr. Dowling mysteries, much to my father’s delight. When I went back to ND to teach at the law school for a year he wrote me into one of the ND mysteries. He was an extreme right wing Catholic and I am an extreme left wing Catholic, no one could ever figure out how we were such good friends — mysteries can make the oddest bedfellows!

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  15. Hurray! I’m super late to the party, but if anyone is reading this comment and hasn’t downloaded this book yet, what are you waiting for? I was lucky enough to read it early, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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