Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Oliana Mercer Series by Marguerite Ashton

Shadowed Seats

Oliana Mercer Series Book 1

by Marguerite Ashton

Genre: YA Mystery

Oliana knows that every family has a secret, but she never expected hers to come from the grave.

High school senior Oliana Mercer dreams of attending the prestigious Reyersen Drama Academy and pursue her acting career. But when tragedy strikes, Oliana discovers secrets hidden from her by her adopted parents, dimming the lights on her perfect world. 

As the sins of the past surface, Oliana finds herself caught up in a tug-of-war between two families while the love for her boyfriend is tested. 

Determined to find some form of happiness in life, Oliana becomes student director in the high school’s senior play. When her best friend, Devin Worthy, dies during dress rehearsal, Oliana is re-cast as the lead.

Everyone thinks the death was a suicide, except Oliana, whose search for clues may be enough motive for the killer to murder again.

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My Review:

3.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Mystery, Teen--

Oliana Mercer feels like she just got her life settled, her big school play is about to start, her adoptive family loves, and she was accepted to the performing arts school. But just as quickly, everything in her life starts to fall apart. When someone close to her ends up dead, Oliana takes it as a challenge to figure out the truth that the police seem to be overlooking. But what happens when Oliana is the next target?

I found this to be an interesting start to a YA mystery series. There was a main mystery as well as a few side mysteries to keep you guessing as well as an interesting cast of supporting characters to help and hinder Oliana on her path to the truth.

Olina was a resourceful, driven character. It was interesting seeing her love of acting and her sleuthing skills, but I don't feel like I 100% got to know her mind in this book. I feel like I just met her but we still have some getting acquainted to do. I was a little surprised about how calm and mellow she was about the death of her best friend as well as the fact she finally decided she loved her bf Austin after he threatened her pregnant now dead bestie to leave his friend Jason (aka the father of the baby who refused to talk to Devon) alone and is potential suspect in her death. Nothing says I have strong feelings for you like possible murdering my best friend.

​Super short read (as per Amazon only 64 pages in the first book), less than an hours's worth of time, more like an introduction to the characters and the setting than a complete book​- probably could be called a novella. I did feel like the plot was a little it rushed and the transitions were not the most smooth so at times I was a little confused. The main mystery that this book has gets solved but the ending begins another one. I highly recommend that you pick up all three books in the series to read together as one story since they are all so quick and short and trail into the next- more like a serial than an independent book.

I am reviewing a complementary copy of this title.

Staged

Oliana Mercer Series Book 2

It’s been two weeks since Oliana Mercer learned a horrible family secret and witnessed the death of her best friend. Two weeks of heartache, secrets, and lies. While Oliana wants to move on, graduation day is a turning point for her, but for the worse.

Austin wants Oliana to stay and not attend Reyersen Drama Academy, a relative from the past wants her forgiveness, the custody battle for her little brother moves forward…and then there’s James whose recent drug habit landed him in trouble. Now he’s missing. After a charred body, believed to be James is found in a dumpster behind the high school, Oliana receives a text from James’ phone.

When Oliana turns to the police for help, she is pulled into a conflict that makes her question whether to obey the law while fighting with the family who abandoned her.

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Cold Read

Oliana Mercer Series Book 3

Settling into campus life at the posh Reyersen Academy acting school, Oliana Mercer prepares for an audition for a lead part in a play called Cold. She soon discovers that her new roommate is not only vying for the same role, but is seeing Austin - Oliana's ex-boyfriend. She does all she can to avoid Austin until he is found murdered at a party. With hardly any clues, she starts snooping around and descends into Reyersen's forbidden East Wing, which mirrors the set for the upcoming play.

As Oliana learns more about the school's past, she begins to suspect people around her might be involved and becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened. When another body is discovered, Oliana finds out that acting will be her best chance for survival.

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Burned Bridges

Prequel to the Oliana Mercer Series

Newly sober and dating the man of her dreams, Traci Collins is ready to enjoy the good life, until her new best friend, Olivia Durning, confides a dreadful secret far worse than Traci could imagine. 

Sealed by a shared bond, and unaware there is more to the secret than what she was told, Collins feels honor-bound to protect her friend when a confrontation between Olivia and her childhood tormentor turns deadly. 

A mysterious text forces Traci to question Olivia's actions and re-examine her loyalties. When the answers to Traci's questions endanger a life she treasures more than her own, she must decide if friendship has a limit. For a bridge once burnt severs ties forever...

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When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer. Five kids later, she founded the Crime Writer’s Panel and began working with former law enforcement investigators to create; Criminal Lines Blog, an online library for crime writers who need help with their book research.

She’s a workaholic who hides in her writer’s attic, plotting out her next book and stalking Pinterest for the next avocado recipe.

A member of Sisters in Crime, Marguerite grew up in Colorado, but is now happily living in Wisconsin and playing as much golf as possible. She can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

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