Books

Life Studies
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The loss of her husband Peter at age fifty-five leaves Liz Raynor searching for a way to bring meaning to her now empty life. The proximity of an artists’ center to her home inspires her to rent a studio and pursue her life-long interest in painting. She enrolls in a life studies class and is attracted to the charismatic teacher, Jay Kadlacek. But their romance is threatened when Jay’s son gets in trouble with the law and a strange young woman, Samantha, comes to Liz’s door asking for Peter. Her connection to Peter is as mysterious as she is. Samantha disappears for months but reappears at the homeless shelter where Liz is  serving meals. When Liz tries to help her, complications arise. Jay and Liz struggle to prevail through several tragedies that test their commitment and their courage.

Nancy Gotter Gates has taken a combination of life’s crises, grief, love and betrayal along with new beginnings and has written a strong character driven story that will enchant readers.  Deborah C. Jackson, Romance Reviews Today

Fans will enjoy this warm romantic family drama. Harriet Klausner, Genre Go Round Reviews

Gates takes time out from her Tommi Poag mysteries for a pleasant…romance. Kirkus Reviews

Emma Daniels finds herself forced to evacuate her high rise condo in the middle of the night when a condo on the floor below catches fire. The resident Henry Conley, who is found dead in his bed from smoke inhalation, was a member of the Looking Back Group that presents programs on early Florida history founded by Emma and her best friend Cal Murray. Though the fire marshal rules the blaze began accidentally when a pan of bacon was left on the stove by an inebriated Henry, many residents are skeptical claiming Henry didn’t cook. Emma learns that Henry moved to Sarasota after a bitter divorce and was involved romantically with a number of women in the building. Her investigation uncovers tangled relationships, jealousy, and wild accusations. In the meantime Emma’s daughter-in-law shows up with a heartbreaking confession. When Emma takes one too many chances, her relationship with Cal is threatened. Determined to continue, however, Emma and her son Mark come very close to losing their lives to the killer. And the final, shocking revelation about Henry sends ripple effects throughout the building.

…Another delightful book from Nancy Gotter Gates who knows how to pluck the strings of a reader’s heart as she dishes about life in a beachside condo filled with retirees. It delivers intrigue, humor, and just plain fun as Emma and her best friend Cal (whom you might wish were more than best friend) set out to solve the mysteries surrounding Henry Conley’s “accidental” death. Harol Marshall, A Corpse for the Matadora, A Corpse for Cuamantla, Holy Death and Holy Mole Murder

Squall Line
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Emma Daniels’s lazy morning on the beach outside her Sarasota, Florida condo is interrupted by a charming stranger. The gentleman, who knows of a gallery in upstate New York, appears so earnest that Emma agrees to deliver his note to a local artist known for her beach paintings. But when the message turns out to be a ransom note, Emma feels like a fool. Now she’s determined to help the note’s recipient secure her grandmother’s safe return and insists on contributing to the ransom amount.

Sinister events turn deadly, though when the artist’s body washes ashore only hours after the money delivery. Worse there’s still no clue to the whereabouts of the elderly woman. Galvanized into action, Emma looks for clues in the young artist’s life and discovers she’s been played in a brilliant con game. The only real part is the lifeless body on the shore. And the terrible awareness that somebody wants Emma dead too.

When an innocent-seeming note turns out to be a ransom note and an artist’s body is found on the beach, Emma Daniels is pulled from her comfortable beachside condo to solve the tangled mystery. With her adept plotting, Nancy Gotter Gates not only logically solves the crime, but keeps us on the edge of our seats doing so. You will fall in love with Emma Daniels in this book and will want to read all her works. -- Lynette Hall Hampton, the Reverend Hinshaw Series, The Calendar Clan Series, the Coverton Mills Series

A critical psychological moment often comes in a marriage when a husband retires, a life change that can greatly affect both man and wife. Ginny McCallister finds herself living in the Sarasota condo her husband Leland bought when she was laid up with a broken knee, giving her no part in the decision. Family and friends and left behind in the move. Adding to her low spirits is the recent discover that Leland was unfaithful years before and the fact that their son and his wife have decided not to have children. While Leland is happily involved with golf and fishing, Ginny can’t find her niche. Her husband has little sympathy, belittling her recruitment of children to build sand castles and her growing interest in a poetry group. As she feels herself more and more unable to communicate with Leland, a member of the poetry group increasingly plays a role in her life. Finally Nicholas stuns her by asking her to leave Leland and marry him. While Ginny agonizes over his stunning proposal, she and her visiting sister are trapped in the condo during a hurricane while Leland is fishing in the Keys. Her brush with death leads her to make the decision as to what path she wishes to follow.

This poignant story delivers many a hard truth in just-right, unsentimental prose – and builds to an action-filled, heart-wrenching ending, at once sad and hopeful. Ellyn Bache, The Art of Saying Goodbye, Riggs Park, Safe Passage and Daughter of the Sea

This story is intriguing, satisfying and poignant. Women can and will identify with her strengths, weaknesses, and ultimately, the power of love. National Association of Baby Boomer Women (NABBW)

This traditional yarn fits the mold and lightly taps all the inspirational buttons. Publishers Weekly

Death at Play:
Murder at the Reenactment
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Tommi Poag joins the board of the condo association and soon finds the members embroiled in a lawsuit filed by an irate homeowner whose show dog escapes when house painters inadvertently let it out. Not long after, the same homeowner is murdered during the reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, a Revolutionary War battle, where he plays the role of a sutler or merchant. Tommi’s friend Garland Merritt, a Captain in the Continentals, is arrested when trace amounts of the victim’s blood are found on his sword. When Tommi’s ex-husband Bernard becomes Garland’s defense attorney, he enlists her help. She begins to unravel an intricate web of complicity that links several people involved in scams and larceny which leads to a second death. Her friend Frank returns to Greensboro from Wisconsin because of his daughter’s ill health and helps Tommi uncover the connections that finally solve the case. This makes them a prime target for the killers, and they experience several close calls which temporarily slow them down before they ultimately flush out the villains.

Tommi is a likeable heroine, and it’s fascinating to follow her through well-known places as she seeks to solve the mystery. Helen Snow, Book Lover’s Blog, Greensboro Public Library

Though I’ve read several impressive histories of Cornwallis’ losing battle in Greens…I enjoyed even more getting my history Gates-style. Here you’ll find history mixed in with a contemporary murder. Before the books ends and avoiding excessive amounts of blood and guts, beguiling Tommi makes sense of it all. Sandra Redding, author of Greensboro and Me: Dancing Through the Decades, Greensboro: A Portrait of Progress

Tommi Poag, enlisted by her divorce lawyer and friend Evan McCandless to participate in a disaster exercise at a Girl Scout Camp, grudgingly agrees to be a “victim.” Once the exercise is over, Tommi is horrified to find Evan dead at the camp’s border, his fake blood commingling with the real thing. When Tommi’s ex, Bernard, suggests that Evan had many enemies, she considers it sour grapes because Evan had filed a malpractice suit against him. Tommi is shocked when Bernard is arrested for Evan’s murder and accused of the killing of an insurance investigator originally thought to be a robbery gone wrong. Tommi still harbors feelings of betrayal over the fact that Bernard left her for a young lawyer after 33 years of marriage, but Bernard’s new wife begs Tommi to look into these deaths and Tommi feels compelled to help. Her investigation brings her and her loved ones into grave danger that nearly stops her in her tracks.

The plot and setting would have kept my interest no matter what setting Gates had chosen for her mystery. Helen Snow, Booklover’s Blog, Greensboro Public Library

The path Tommi takes to find the killer is well done with just enough dead ends to keep you guessing. Lototy, Coffee Time Romance & More

When Push Comes to Death
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Tommi Poag, recently dumped by her lawyer husband after 22 years, works in an insurance office where she meets Nina Sellars who’s come to transfer her husband’s policy from California to Oak Ridge NC where they now live. The women discover that Tommi’s ex-husband is a first cousin to Nina’s father Frank, but neither woman knows why the men have not spoke in thirty years. Months later, after the women have become fast friends, Nina is accused of killing her husband when their car is pushed into Lake Brandt. Tommi’s ex, Bernard, takes the case much to her chagrin, and she decides to surreptitiously help Nine as she’s not sure Bernard is capable. Another murder, a fire at Tommi’s condo, and an attempt on her do not deter her. Devastating truths are unlocked as she delves into the family relationships.

What an ultimate mystery this is. The author truly keeps you guessing on the outvcome…till the very end. Add When Push Comes to Death to your reading list.
Matilda, Coffee Time Romance & More

Recently widowed, Emma Daniels is drawn into becoming an ombudsman at her Sarasota condo by her favorite neighbor, Gerry. When Gerry dies unexpectedly while undergoing chemotherapy and her husband suffers a stroke a few hours later rendering him speechless, Emma is shocked. But when the police decide the husband soffucated his wife as an act of mercy, Emma is driven to learn the truth, knowing he is unable to defend himself. Will a car bomb, an apparent suicide, and a kidnapping stop Emma from tracking down the real killer while she also deals with her son and his estranged wife?

It is easy to see why Gates is an award-winning mystery writer. In this novel, she provides an intriguing and engaging plot…It is exciting to think that this type of adventure couple happen to regular people, even retirees. In addition, Gates does an excellent job of building suspense.   Allyson Whipple, Ohioana Quarterly

Emma is the star of this delightful cozy as she struggles with widowhood, her friends, death, the husband as the prime suspect, and on top of that her daughter-in-law, estranged from her son, has turned to her for help. Harriet Klausner, Amazon

This mystery is a real page turner!” Helen Show, Booklover’s Blog, Greensboro Public Library