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David Ahern
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Madam Tulip and the Bones of Chance: (A Madam Tulip mystery - Book 3) Kindle Edition

by David Ahern (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 69 ratings

"This third book in the Madam Tulip series is wonderful read, and David Ahern’s wry humour is a delight."
A surprise role in a movie takes actress Derry O’Donnell to a romantic castle in the Scottish Highlands. But romance soon turns to fear and suspicion. Someone means to kill, and Derry, moonlighting as celebrity fortune-teller Madam Tulip, is snared in a net of greed, conspiracy and betrayal.

A millionaire banker. A film producer with a mysterious past. A PA with her eyes on Hollywood. Each has a secret to share and a request for Madam Tulip.

Mystery, edge-of your seat suspense and laugh-out-loud moments, as Derry O’Donnell and her friend Bruce race to prevent a murder, and find that the one future Madam Tulip can’t predict is her own.

What readers are saying about Madam Tulip and the Bones of Chance:
"I don’t hesitate to give five stars and say that I can’t wait for the next book." – Barb Taub, author

"David Ahern's sense of humour blends cozy with sudden flare-up. His style is unusually entertaining." – booktaste

"If you like your cozy mysteries with just enough of a mysteriously psychic spin to keep you on edge wondering what might be possible, then this is definitely a series you should check out! – jillelizabeth

"This is the third Madam Tulip book, and my favourite so far! – bookshineandreadbows

"I love this series and am excited when a new book comes out." – Amazon customer

"a page turner just like the previous two." – The AspiringWordsmith

"... there’s plenty of good comedic writing ... a mystery you can’t really guess the solution to, a little peril, a dash of romance and some fun characters. – Irresponsible Reader"

"Madam Tulip is a a must-read by all standards." – nadanessinmotion

"...keeps the readers engaged till the end. – bookworldliness

"... the best kind of page turning mystery with enough laughs to keep it lighthearted and fun." – behindthewillows

"I can’t wait for the next instalment!" – mariesbookboutique

"David Ahern has done it again! From the very first paragraph, I had a smile on my face." – kerensasreadingnook
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  1. Book 3 of 5
    Madam Tulip
  2. Print length
    373 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    April 12, 2018
  5. Reading age
    16 - 18 years
  6. File size
    2.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 5 books in this series.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Madam Tulip's adventures have shot straight to the top of my personal wish list" bookshineandreadbows

"Derry O'Donnell is one of the most unique heroines I have come across" nightowlreviews

"If you're up for a funny, well-written genre mashup with memorable characters and a great sense of voice and style, I think you'll love this series." barbtaub

"I am fully committed to this series now as a reader ... I will be waiting anxiously for the next installment." bookshineandreadbows

About the Author

David Ahern grew up in a theatrical family in Ireland. He worked as a stagehand, a piano mover, a research psychologist and an IT guy before becoming a television writer, director and producer. He created international documentary series and won numerous awards, none of which got him free into nightclubs.He played in great bands, all doomed to obscurity, and wrote equally obscure plays, before taking to novel-writing. He now creates the Madam Tulip mysteries, mostly to make himself laugh and scratch his head. David Ahern loves pretending this is actual work.David lives in the beautiful West of Ireland with his wife, a cat, a tame pheasant, a clan of badgers and a vegetable garden.You can learn more about David Ahern and the Madam Tulip mysteries from his website: davidahern.infoConnect with David Ahern on Facebook: facebook.com/davidahernauthorand Twitter: twitter.com/daveahernwriter

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07BBTSGKB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Malin Press (April 12, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 12, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 373 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 69 ratings

About the author

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David Ahern

David Ahern

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David Ahern grew up in a theatrical family in Ireland. He worked as a stagehand, a piano mover, a research psychologist and an IT guy before becoming a television writer, director and producer. He created international documentary series and won numerous awards, none of which got him free into nightclubs.

He played in great bands, all doomed to obscurity, and wrote equally obscure plays before taking to novel-writing. He now creates the Madam Tulip mysteries, mostly to make himself laugh and scratch his head. David Ahern loves pretending this is actual work.

David lives in the beautiful West of Ireland with his wife, a cat, a tame pheasant, a clan of badgers and a vegetable garden.

You can learn more about David Ahern and the Madam Tulip mysteries from his website www.davidahern.info

Connect with David Ahern on Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidahernauthor and Twitter: www.twitter.com/daveahernwriter

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
69 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • RoseJean Bell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cosy Mystery with Celtic Flair
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Another great installment of Madam Tulip. The 3 books are all stand alone. But reading them in order, gives characters relationships time to make more sense. The twist and turn in The story leaves you flipping pages to the very end. Loved it can't wait for the next one.
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  • The Irresponsible Reader
    4.0 out of 5 stars Derry & Co. are back for more fun, fortune telling and mystery solving
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2018
    This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
    ---

    Many people doubt psychic powers exist, but the doubters do not include actors. Everyone in showbusiness knows that as soon as one actor learns of a casting, actors of all ages, ethnicities, creeds and genders are instantly aware of every detail. Einstein claimed that faster-than-light communication is impossible. Einstein was not an actor.

    But not even the actors that Derry, Bruce and Bella knew had an inkling of the dash of good fortune heading toward Derry and Bruce -- they were given roles in a movie without the need to audition, if they could get themselves to Northern Scotland and Derry might have to give a reading or two. For readers new to this, Derry played the role of Madam Tulip on occasion -- giving psychic readings at parties and the like. Derry was initially reluctant to take the role, but she needed the work -- and Bruce only got his job if she took hers.

    So they find themselves in Scotland -- a land not necessarily ready for or welcoming toward people making a film. Which almost describes the director, too. He's clearly nuts -- and not in the genius filmmaker kind of way. Many of the other professionals on set did seem to know what they're doing, which went a long way to keeping the production running. But mostly, the antics on the set made for good comedy. Derry is given a set of bones on set to add to her gypsy character's fortune telling routine in the historical drama.

    While practicing with the bones, Derry starts to have visions, we'll get into that later, but it's clear that she's gotten herself into more than meets the eye (again).

    The most striking and interesting people in the book aren't on the film set -- believe it or not. As the blurb on the back says,

    A millionaire banker, a film producer with a mysterious past, a gun-loving wife, a PA with her eyes on Hollywood, a handsome and charming estate manager—each has a secret to share and a request for Madam Tulip.

    As usual, Derry's desire to help people and natural nosiness gets her involved in these people's lives (okay, she might have less altruistic motives about the estate manager). And that's before someone tries to kill her and/or one of her new friends. Once that happens, Derry can't help but dive into finding out what's going on. Madam Tulip may be able to guide the direction she goes, but it's Derry's on cleverness that will carry the day.

    In Madam Tulip, her father seems to actually believe that she had some psychic ability, otherwise it seems like a lark, something she does for giggles. But in book 2, it seemed possible that she might actually have some abilities, but there wasn't much in the novel that was more than a hint or suggestion that she did. But here? That hint, that suggestion is gone -- she sees things when she rolls the bones, her Tarot readings do say a lot that's true (and future) about the person she's reading the cards for. I think I liked it better when the reader wasn't sure if she had gifts or not, honestly -- but only a little bit.

    I've been a fan of this series since chapter two or three of the first book, so you're not getting anything really objective here (not that you ever do). But this is the best that Ahern's done yet -- there's plenty of good comedic writing (there are lines I tried to shoehorn into this, but couldn't, that made me laugh out loud), a mystery you can't really guess the solution to, a little peril, a dash of romance and some fun characters. That's not even counting Derry and Bruce. Bones of Chance is a strong entry in the series that will please fans, but it's also a decent jumping on point for new readers. Basically anyone who enjoys light mysteries with a touch of something extra should have fun with this book.

    There are times that I fear my enthusiasm towards a book doesn't come through, and I usually don't know how to achieve that better -- this is one such time. I found myself grinning frequently while reading this -- I chuckled, I even laughed out loud. I had a few theories about the trouble that Derry was getting herself into, and failed with almost all of them (a sign of a good mystery/thriller, if you ask me). If you're not picking up my enthusiasm, that's on me, just trust me that it's there.

    Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author
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  • Steph Warren
    5.0 out of 5 stars A cosy mystery with a bit of action and humour, and a lightly paranormal touch
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2018
    *I received a free ARC of this book. The decision to review, and my opinions are my own.*

    This is the third Madam Tulip book, and my favourite so far!

    Bones of Chance can be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend following the series through in order. Derry and the gang have settled into their rhythm at this point and the relationships are natural and familiar. As usual Jacko and Vanessa steal more than their share of the limelight during their brief appearances: no need to wonder where Derry gets her dramatic talents!

    The plot, as usual, veers from the mundane to the exotic; mixing master criminals in amongst a cast of actors, crew members and a smattering of Scottish gentry. Bruce also proves himself invaluable again, with his wide array of survival skills; essential to anyone who wishes to spend any length of time around the luckless Derry and her talent for unintentional entanglement with danger.

    I always enjoy the dream and vision sequences and playing the game of guessing along as to what they symbolise and how it all fits in with the more earthly clues and hints along the way. I was surprised at two points in the plot when my predictions had gone far astray and impressed at the authorial sleight of hand that gently led me in the wrong direction whilst still playing fair in terms of the information presented.

    The standout aspects for me were the film shoot setting, which added a bit of glamour and excitement. It was nice to see Derry doing a bit of her ‘other’ day job, and doing it well. I also particularly liked the emphasis on Derry’s integrity in her Tulip role. It had been touched upon previously, but here there were a number of occasions where it would have been easy for Derry to agree to influence her readings, thereby furthering the plot with little effort, but both she and the author took the harder high ground. I really felt this gave a depth and detail to her characterisation: she may or may not believe in her gift, but she won’t be led into mixing the two careers.

    If you enjoy your cosy mysteries with a bit of action and humour, and a lightly paranormal touch, then I can highly recommend Madam Tulip and Derry!

    Silence is sometimes described as stony. This silence bore no resemblance whatever to a rock. In spite of appearances, rocks are not great listeners. You might think they are hanging on your every word, but they are not; they are ignoring you. No, the silence in which Bella and Bruce sat was more the sort of silence in which a sponge sits. Think of a dry sponge, inexorably drawing towards it every wisp of vapour, every drop of precious, life-giving moisture.

    – David Ahern, Madam Tulip and the Bones of Chance

    (Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog)
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  • SG
    5.0 out of 5 stars This third book in the Madame Tulip series is wonderful read
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2019
    “If something sounds too good to be true, then it is,” Bruce confirms. But what could possibly go wrong?

    Derry and Bruce have both been hired to act in a film shot in Scotland, and they’re earning good money. Not only that, Derry, cast in the role of fortune teller (of course), has two very appealing men circling around her, and one is a powerful castle-owning multimillionaire.

    True, the director of the film is perfectly obnoxious, and the male lead is a pop star, not a professional actor, but isn’t that the way things go in today’s film world? Add in poachers, highly unpleasant characters, a former casino hostess from Las Vegas, obnoxious journalists, a bit of interference from Derry’s loopy artistic parents, and all the elements of a good Madame Tulip story are well in place.

    Thankfully, even the excitement of a film set and the complications of fortune telling don’t hinder Derry from being as sceptical as usual; and Bruce, although in the grips of stage fright, is always on hand to prevent total disaster.

    This third book in the Madame Tulip series is wonderful read, and David Ahern’s wry humour is a delight.

    Book Reviewed on Whispering Stories Book Blog
    *I received a free copy of this book, which I voluntarily reviewed.
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