Book Review: The Vampire Book Club by Nancy Warren

The Vampire Book Club
Author: Nancy Warren
Series: Vampire Book Club (Book 1)
Publication: Ambleside Publishing (May 6, 2020)

Description: Quinn Callahan is having a doozy of a midlife crisis.

She's stuck in a dead end job, going nowhere, but she's been fine with it. She's 45 and divorced. Her husband left her for her best friend—so cliche! But it was all good—until Quinn, a practicing witch, broke a major rule, and found her boring existence turned upside down. Suddenly, she finds herself thousands miles away from the bustling metropolis of Seattle and plunked down in the sleepy little hamlet of Ballydehag, Ireland, and proprietress of a charming little bookshop. Surely, there's no chance for a middle aged witch to get into any trouble here....right? Uh......

My Thoughts: After misusing her magic to try to save the life of her cancer-stricken ex-husband, Quinn Callahan is sent from Seattle to a small village in Ireland to make a new start. She's taking over the house and bookstore of another witch who also needed to be moved.

Enchanted with her new home, Quinn is eager to make a new start. However, she doesn't expect to find the body of the local lothario when she first visits her new bookstore. Nor does she expect to find the local vampires holding book club meetings late at night in her club space. 

And when she keeps finding clues to the reason for Declan O'Connor's death pushed under her door or hidden in her book stacks, she calls on her new vampire friends and some of the locals to help her solve the murder. 

This was a cute cozy mystery with a nice touch of the paranormal. The main character is engaging. This book also begins a series. 

Favorite Quote:

"Miss Marple?" I sat up straight, feeling quite offended. "Miss Marple is an eighty-year-old spinster."

He clamped down a smile at my outburst. "I merely meant you're a female amateur sleuth in a small village. No other comparison."

I bought this one April 1, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

Sun-drenched wheat fields. The refrain ran through Cash's mind as she pulled open the Casbah's screen door. She stood still. Momentarily blinded, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkened barroom.

Friday 56:

Cigarette after cigarette got her into Ada -- the county sear -- at about three in the afternoon. Wheaton's cop car sat outside the jail.

This week I am spotlighting Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon. I discovered this book because of a BookBub email and then learned that it had been a One Book, One Minnesota selection for Summer 2021. Then I got another email recommending the series that was sent by Angeline Boulley whose Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed I just loved. It seemed meant that I read this one.

Here's the description from Amazon:

Introducing Cash Blackbear, a young Ojibwe woman whose visions and grit help solve a brutal murder in this award-winning debut.

1970s, Red River Valley between North Dakota and Minnesota: Renee “Cash” Blackbear is 19 years old and tough as nails. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota, where she drives truck for local farmers, drinks beer, plays pool, and helps solve criminal investigations through the power of her visions. She has one friend, Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, who helped her out of the broken foster care system.

One Saturday morning, Sheriff Wheaton is called to investigate a pile of rags in a field and finds the body of an Indian man. When Cash dreams about the dead man’s weathered house on the Red Lake Reservation, she knows that’s the place to start looking for answers. Together, Cash and Wheaton work to solve a murder that stretches across cultures in a rural community traumatized by racism, genocide, and oppression.

ARC Review: Dewey Decimated by Allison Brook

Dewey Decimated
Author: Allison Brook
Series: A Haunted Library Mystery (Book 6)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 6, 2022)

Description: Librarian Carrie Singleton is back on the case, alongside library ghost Evelyn, in the sixth installment of Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mysteries.

Carrie Singleton is just off a hot string of murder cases centered around the spooky local library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut. She could really use a break—but no such luck, as she; Smoky Joe, the resident cat; and Evelyn, the library’s ghost, are drawn into another tantalizing whodunit.

First, a dead body is found in the basement of the building attached to the library, and it turns out to be Carrie’s fiancé’s Uncle Alec, who Dylan hasn’t seen in years. But Alec has no intention of truly checking out, and his ghost makes itself at home in the library, greatly upsetting the patrons. Carrie and Evelyn work hard to keep Alec out of sight, but what was he doing in Clover Ridge to begin with? And why was he killed?

Meanwhile, the town council, of which Carrie is also a member, is embroiled in a hot-headed debate over the fate of the Seabrook Preserve, a lovely and valuable piece of property that runs along Long Island Sound. Turn it into an upscale park? Sell it to a condo developer? Or keep it as protected land?

As the dispute rages, there’s another murder, this time involving a council member. Could the two murders be connected? And could Carrie be next on the hit list?

My Thoughts: In this sixth installment in the Haunted Library series, Librarian Carrie Singleton is excited about the renovation of the building next door which will expand the library and give her space for her programs. She is also getting comfortable with being on the town council.

Things go terribly wrong when a body is discovered in the building that is being renovated. Things get worse when the man's ghost finds its way into Carrie's library. Carrie can see him, as can her ghostly assistant Evelyn, but that doesn't help much since the ghost has amnesia.

When a local TV reporter encourages Carrie to help solve the mystery, Carrie isn't really interested. She doesn't want or need the publicity. But then she learns that the ghost is the long-lost uncle of her fiancé Dylan. And when the renovation's lead contractor, and fellow town council member, Sean Powell is murdered Carrie needs to solve both murders before Dylan's uncle's ghost can move on to the afterlife. 

Between a contentious issue regarding the future use of a piece of property left to the town which has put the council members at odds and arguments about the renovation, the suspects are many. Carrie also has to keep secret that she's getting help in her investigation from a couple of ghosts.

I enjoyed this episode and think fans of cozy mysteries with a paranormal bent will enjoy it too. 

Favorite Quote:

"Why do we have to sit down? I'm hungry."

I refrained from pointing out that she'd just insisted she wasn't hungry. "Because what I have to tell you is shocking."

"This better be good," she grumbled.

We sat down and I started talking.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Luna Rising by Sara Snow

Luna Rising
Author: Sara Snow
Narrator: Meg Price
Series: Luna Rising (Book 1)
Publication: Self-Published (April 17, 2020)
Length: 3 hours and 54 minutes

Description: Xavier Blackwood is the man every girl at my college dreams about at night, myself included, but I'd never let anyone know that.

Standing at 6'8" with steel grey eyes, he's a walking dream, but he's also a world-renowned a-hole.

Who would have thought that one night, after dragging myself home after doing double shifts at the diner, I'd be jumped by three men...only to have Xavier come to my rescue.

Oh yes, Xavier bloody Blackwood saved my life...but the thing I saw, the creature that ripped those men to shreds, wasn't the Xavier everyone knows

He was a wolf, a demon, a creature from myths, and it was the most amazing sh*t I've ever seen until he attacked me, too, and knocked me out

Humans who learn about the existence of werewolves have to die.

There are no exceptions

The werewolf Xavier saved me, but now, I am condemned to death.

To make things worse, both Xavier and Axel claim I am their mate. This can't be good.

My Thoughts: This story is the first in a YA paranormal fantasy series. It stars new college student named Ruby. She's on her own and hoping that college will better her life. She meets a potential new friend in Natalie.

She's only in school for two days before she is attacked leaving her job at a diner and saved by Xavier Blackwood. She'd seen him around campus and would have been attracted to him if he wasn't so sure of himself. Besides, school is her priority. Boys are a very distant second. 

She wakes up and finds out that she has seen werewolves. In fact, Xavier is one. And humans who see werewolves are killed. But for some reason, Ruby is saved even though her life is changed. She can't just go back to her normal life. 

Ruby soon finds out that Xavier is her fated mate. This bites because werewolves never take human mates. It goes against all the rules set by the Council. To make matters more complicated, she also appears to be the mate of Axel who is the alpha-to-be of another pack that really hates Xavier's pack. 

Confusion reigns! But Ruby and Xavier do become closer and she's resigning herself to being his mate. Then she's kidnapped by unknowns. And the story ends...

This is only part of the story which I find annoying. There is no resolution to any part of the story. Natalie is sure that Ruby isn't an ordinary human, but what is she? How can Ruby be the mate of two different werewolves? Who kidnapped her and why?

People who want to get sucked into a five-book series and who love over-the-top teen drama and angst will enjoy this beginning. It is all available as part of the Kindle Unlimited program.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book & Audio Review: Pretty Dead by Anne Frasier

Pretty Dead
Author: Anne Frasier
Narrator: Natalie Ross
Series: Elise Sandburg (Book 3)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (September 1, 2015); Brilliance Audio (September 1, 2015
Length: 334 p.; 9 hours and 4 minutes

Description: A serial killer stalks the streets of Savannah...

Homicide detective Elise Sandburg and her partner, profiler David Gould, are all too familiar with the terrible costs of chasing evil. Despite their wounded psyches, the detectives delve into the deranged killer’s twisted mind, determined to unravel the clues in the taunts he leaves behind.

A city gripped by fear...

When his daughter becomes the killer’s next victim, a grief-stricken mayor comes down hard on the police, demanding that they catch the psychopath—now. Feeling the pressure, department officials enlist the aid of both Elise’s estranged father and an FBI profiler who has unresolved business with David.

A cunning and elusive madman...

In a heart-pounding race to stop the next homicide, the detectives uncover their own role in the madman’s deadly game. Will they outsmart the killer before another horrific murder takes place in their beautiful city? Or have Elise and David finally met their match?

My Thoughts: A serial killer has come to make Savannah his next killing ground and it is up to Homicide detective Elise Sandburg and David Gould to track him down. Adding to the excitement, the New York Times has sent a reporter to shadow them and write a story about them. And the FBI has sent a profiler named Victor Lamont who just happens to be the lover who convinced David's ex-wife that they would have a future together if only she didn't have a child leading to her murder David's and her son Christian.

Also, adding to the distractions are the Elise's estranged father Jackson Sweet is back in town and gravely ill with cancer and that Elise's boss has hired him to consult on the serial killer case. 

After gutting the police department's budget and holding a press conference assuring the citizens of Savannah that they are safe if they aren't drug=using prostitutes. the mayor's own estranged art student daughter becomes a victim of the killer. When Major Hoffman, who is the woman police chief is found dead, the Lamont is all set to railroad David for the crime. After all, he'd been having an affair with her and his prints are all over her house. 

This story was packed with action and was an intensely emotional story. I really enjoyed it and couldn't stop listening. Natalie Ross did an excellent job with the voices and keeping the tension and mystery high. 

Favorite Quote:

That was the thing about homicide. The world kept moving even when you felt deep in your heart that everything should stop for at least a moment of silence. Just a moment.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book & Audio Review: Stay Dead by Anne Frasier

Stay Dead
Author: Anne Frasier
Narrator: Natalie Ross
Series: Elise Sandburg (Book 2)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (April 22, 2014); Brilliance Audio (April 22, 2014)
Length: 310 p.; 9 hours and 17 minutes

Description: New York Times bestselling author Anne Frasier takes readers back to her dark, enchanting Savannah--a place as terrifying as it is mesmerizing.

Homicide detective Elise Sandburg is traumatized after her run-in with a madman the press has dubbed "The Organ Thief." As Elise takes refuge in her deceased aunt Anastasia's abandoned plantation to investigate and recover from her ordeal, she begins to question everything--from her dangerous line of work to her complex relationship with her handsome, tortured partner, David Gould. But with a madman on the loose, and her mother's claims to still hear from Aunt Anastasia, she may have more immediate problems on her hands. In Elise's world, where cold hard crime mixes with the local Gullah culture, nothing is ever what it seems, and no one is above suspicion--not even the dead.

My Thoughts: The second Elise Sandburg thriller has Elise trying to recover from being kidnapped, raped and tortured by a madman who is fixated on her and who kills and harvests organs for sale. In Elise's escape, Atticus Tremaine was rendered comatose. He's currently in a hospital under guard.

Elise goes to her aunt Anastasia's plantation to recover and also because her mother calls her and tells her that she had received a phone call from Anastasia. The only problem is that Anatasia is supposed to be dead; her mother attended her funeral. 

At the plantation, Elise encounters a man who claims to be her father Jackson Sweet. Sweet was a noted conjure man who supposedly died years earlier. Strata Luna, noted local witch and madam, even took Elise to see where he was buried in an unmarked grave. This is a hard thing for Elise who has been trying to get away from her heritage in magic. 

Then aunt Anastasia reappears having faked her death in an insurance scam in order to keep her beloved plantation. And Atticus comes out of his coma, escapes from the hospital, begins killing again, and wants to recapture Elise who is the object of his obsession. 

The story was fast-paced and the plot was twisty. Elise is rethinking her life plan and contemplating giving up work for the PD in favor of opening a coffee shop. She is also rethinking her decision to step away from her possible magic. And her relationship with her partner David Gould is also causing stress since it seems to be drifting to a romantic relationship she isn't sure she wants. 

I loved the combination of police work and magic. There was a great cast of intriguing characters and the narrator Natalie Ross did a great job making each of them distinctive. 

Favorite Quote:

"Nobody wants normal."

"Sometimes I think it would be nice."

"Normal is just advertising. Normal is a sales pitch. Normal is fiction. It's not real. What do you think normal is?"

I bought the Kindle and Audible for $1.99 each January 10, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Book and Audio Review: Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick

Crystal Gardens
Author: Amanda Quick
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Series: Ladies of Lantern Street (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (April 24, 2012); Berkley (April 24, 2012)
Length: 10 hours and 14 minutes; 345 p.

Description: New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick delivers “a promising start to a Victorian-era series”* with the first Ladies of Lantern Street novel…

Evangeline Ames has rented a country cottage far from the London streets where she was recently attacked. Fascinated by the paranormal energy of nearby Crystal Gardens, she finds pleasure in sneaking past the wall to explore the grounds. And when her life is threatened again, she instinctively goes to the gardens for safety.

Lucas Sebastian has never been one to ignore a lady in danger, even if she is trespassing on his property. Quickly disposing of her would-be assassin, he insists they keep the matter private. There are rumors enough already, about treasure buried under his garden and occult botanical experiments performed by his uncle—who died of mysterious causes. With Evangeline’s skill for detection, and Lucas’s sense of the criminal mind, they soon discover that they have a common enemy. And as the energy emanating from Crystal Gardens intensifies, they realize that to survive they must unearth what has been buried for too long.

My Thoughts: Evangeline Ames has come to the quiet, rural town of Little Digby to get over an attempted murder and to write the next chapters of her sensational novel. She has been there a couple of weeks suffering from both boredom and writer's block, when she is awakened one evening by someone breaking in. She flees to the nearest home, that of her landlord Lucas Sebastian. She attempts to hide from her assailant in the very scary gardens that surround the house. She had been warned by the locals that strange things happened in that garden and her own paranormal senses tell her that the locals are correct. Lucas comes to her rescue and exhibits some paranormal senses of his own doing so.

The two had met in a local bookshop when Lucas arrived in town to stay at Crystal Gardens. Lucas was fascinated by her but his main concern was learning who had murdered his uncle. After Evie's attack, he took advantage of the situation to get closer to her by providing protection. Someone was clearly trying to kill her. But Evangeline was no helpless victim. She might outwardly seem like an unobtrusive lady's companion but she was employed by an agency to do discreet private inquiries. The agency looked for young women with paranormal skills.  

Lucas and Evie get closer as they work to find out who killed his uncle, who is trying to kill her, why the paranormal energies are increasing at Crystal Gardens making the gardens more and more dangerous, and who is hunting for the hidden Roman treasure that is rumored to be buried in the Night Garden. Of course they also have to deal with the ramifications of their relationship in a time when a woman's reputation was worth more than gold. 

Evie had no intention of ever marrying because she believed herself too old, too poor, and of too low a social status but that doesn't mean that she isn't willing to explore her sensual side if the right man and the right situation comes along. And Lucas looks like the right man. Her justification is that it will help her be a better writer of her sensational novels if she has some experience. Lucas, having determined to have her in his life, is more than willing to accommodate her. When the two are compromised by spending the night together in the garden, Lucas seizes the opportunity and announces their engagement. It takes a while to reconcile Evie and it takes some serious but unconventional courting before he can win her hand. 

I love the relationship between Evie and Lucas. Neither one of them fits into the normal mode of society and wouldn't even if they didn't have paranormal powers. I like the banter between them. I like that Evie knows Lucas better than his own family and accepts him as he is. The rest of the world is pretty much afraid of him. He is a man of responsibility and honor who has a paranormal gift that makes him very valuable in solving the most difficult of murder cases. I also like the relationship that Lucas has with his much younger twin brother and sister. 

This was a very good romance that I recommend to lovers of historical romance, paranormal romance, and Jayne Ann Krentz in all her many names and genres. 

Favorite Quote:

"'For your own good' are the four most irritating words in the English language."

A flicker of amusement whispered through him. "Yes, I have been told that on a number of occasions."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

The muffled thud of the shattered lock echoed like a thunderclap in the deep silence that drenched the cottage. Evangeline Ames recognized the sound at once. She was no longer alone in the house.

Friday 56:

"That's it?" Clarissa said. Incredulous sympathy rang in her words. "That is all there is to do here in Little Dixby? Tour a few ruins, have tea and a few tasteless sandwiches and and stop in a bookshop?"

"I'm afraid so," Evangeline said. "The most interesting sites around here are locked away behind the walls of Crystal Gardens."

This week I am spotlighting Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick. I read this one for the first time in 2012 but this time I'm listening to the audiobook. Here is the description from Amazon:

New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick delivers “a promising start to a Victorian-era series”* with the first Ladies of Lantern Street novel…

Evangeline Ames has rented a country cottage far from the London streets where she was recently attacked. Fascinated by the paranormal energy of nearby Crystal Gardens, she finds pleasure in sneaking past the wall to explore the grounds. And when her life is threatened again, she instinctively goes to the gardens for safety.

Lucas Sebastian has never been one to ignore a lady in danger, even if she is trespassing on his property. Quickly disposing of her would-be assassin, he insists they keep the matter private. There are rumors enough already, about treasure buried under his garden and occult botanical experiments performed by his uncle—who died of mysterious causes. With Evangeline’s skill for detection, and Lucas’s sense of the criminal mind, they soon discover that they have a common enemy. And as the energy emanating from Crystal Gardens intensifies, they realize that to survive they must unearth what has been buried for too long.

ARC Review: A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K. Hamilton

A Terrible Fall of Angels
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Series: A Zaniel Havelock Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (August 17, 2021)

Description: Angels walk among us, but so do other unearthly beings in this brand new series by #1 New York Times Bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton.

Meet Detective Zaniel Havelock, a man with the special ability to communicate directly with angels. A former trained Angel speaker, he devoted his life to serving both the celestial beings and his fellow humans with his gift, but a terrible betrayal compelled him to leave that life behind. Now he’s a cop who is still working on the side of angels. But where there are angels, there are also demons. There’s no question that there’s evil at work when he’s called in to examine the murder scene of a college student—but is it just the evil that one human being can do to another, or is it something more? When demonic possession is a possibility, even angelic protection can only go so far. The race is on to stop a killer before he finds his next victim, as Zaniel is forced to confront his own very personal demons, and the past he never truly left behind.

My Thoughts: As a child Zaniel Havelock was taken into the College of Angels and trained to become an Angel Speaker, someone who can talk with angels without going insane. A series of traumatic events convinced him to leave the college and build a new life for himself. He joined the army and then the police force and is now Detective Zaniel Havelock of the Metaphysical Coordination Unit which is better known as the Heaven and Hell Unit. 

Zaniel, who gained the nickname of Havoc while in the army, is at the crime scene with lots of clues that an angel was somehow involved. But a visit from an angel messenger tells him that even the angels don't know what happened that led to the brutal murder and rape of Megan Borowski.

Zaniel has to find out and, apparently, he is the only one who can. But he is also in the middle of trying to save his marriage to Reggie who is having issues with him being a police officer. He loves her and he certainly doesn't want to lose his three-year-old son Connery, but this case and its dangers are crowding in on his time. There is a most unusual demon involved.

This is the first of a new series for the author so there is a lot of worldbuilding which is well-integrated into the story. This is a world with angels and demons, guardian angels and totem animals, and of faith. Zaniel is an intriguing character. He's a man of faith but his faith isn't the narrow one taught at the College of Angels. We meet two of his fellow students in this story. One is Surial who has stayed in the College of Angels and risen up the ranks to a powerful position. The other is Jamie who was kicked out of the College when he went insane after an angel encounter and who has lived as a street person for at least ten years but who has now regained some sanity. We meet some of Zaniel's fellow police officers including a man who gets blissed out when he sees an angel, Zaniel's lieutenant who is a voodoo priest, and a colleague who is a witch with totem animals. 

The story was intriguing and I am looking forward to more stories set in this world. The main story plot is resolved here but there are still some dangling threads that I am eager to know more about.

Favorite Quote:

"We won today, Zaniel; don't steal the victory from yourself. There are too man days in our line of work that are losses; you've got to treasure the wind, or you'll burnout and you won't still be saving lives when you're my age."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Shadows of the Dead by Spencer Kope

Shadows of the Dead
Author: Spencer Kope
Series: Special Tracking Unit (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur Books (August 25, 2020)

Description: The best tracker in the world, a man with a secret and a special set of skills, must find two nearly untraceable killers before time runs out for their victims, in Spencer Kope's Shadows of the Dead.

A woman―abducted and found in the trunk of a car after a high-speed chase―regains consciousness in the ICU to reveal two crucial pieces of information: the man who kidnapped her is not the same as the man who left her in the woods, and she's not the first victim―in fact, she is number eight.

Magnus “Steps” Craig is part of the elite three-man Special Tracking Unit of the FBI. Known for his ability to find and follow trails over any surface, Steps is called in on cases that require his unparalleled skills. But there’s a secret to his talent. Steps has a kind of synesthesia where he can see the ‘essence’ of a person―what he calls ‘shine’―on everything they’ve touched.

Brought in to track the driver through a dense forest after the blood hounds have lost his trail, Steps and his partner Jimmy find the driver laughing maniacally, babbling about souls, and hiding a pristinely maintained box of eight posed rats. Now the Special Tracking Unit must chase two villains―through not just the real world, but the dark web as well―tracking an enemy they can't see, as time runs out for the unknown victims.

My Thoughts: This is the third mystery starring Magnus "Steps" Craig and his partner Jimmy Donovan. Together they are two parts of a special FBI unit that is called in when someone needs to be found. Steps almost died when he was eight and was revived only to discover that he has an unusual power. He can see something unique about where a person has been and what he has touched. Each person makes a unique path that Steps calls Shine. They are keeping Steps' power a secret.

They are called in to track down a man when a woman is found bound in his trunk. They discover the man which only begins the mystery. The man has a mental illness which makes him delusional. He keeps talking about his partner - the Onion King - who lets him help with his kidnappings. He also tells them that the girl in the trunk is number eight. They aren't at all sure what is real and what is part of the man's delusions - until the girl wakes up and confirms that she was kidnapped by another man and left in the forest for our delusional character to find. 

Our delusional man is identified as Murphy Haze Cotton and, in the course of searching his home, a diorama of rats who are all wearing masks is discovered. Further investigation leads to an isolated cabin which is also a repository for mannequins in masks and a location where the remnants of bodies dissolved in lye are spread.

Steps and Jimmy along with a variety of police officers from a number of jurisdictions are in a rush to identify the missing women who were used to create the masks and track down the elusive Onion King. The case becomes even more urgent when another young woman disappears.

This was an entertaining story with a unique detective. I thought it was well-paced and exciting. 

Favorite Quote:

Criminal investigations are a bit like playing Ping-Pong in the dark with marshmallows; no one ever knows the score and you spend half your time searching for the marshmallows.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: A Spell of Trouble by Leighann Dobbs and Traci Douglass

A Spell of Trouble
Author: Leighann Dobbs & Traci Douglass
Series: Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series (Book 1)
Publication: Amazon Digital Services, August 23, 2016

Description: When town trouble maker, Louella Drummond, drops dead in front of Isolde Quinn's pet store just minutes after threatening both Issy and her cousin Graeme, the police in the small lakeside town of Silver Hollow assume it's from natural causes.

... Until it's discovered that Louella was murdered.

Not just any murder, though. Murder by paranormal means. Dark magic that could only have been performed by a powerful witch. And every law-abiding paranormal knows that dark magic is forbidden and carries strict punishment at the hands of "the committee" - the mysterious entity that provides law and order within the paranormal community.

Being witches, Issy and her three cousins fear they are at the top of the suspect list. To make matters worse, a secret division of the FBI has gotten wind of the happenings in Silver Hollow and sent two agents to ferret out paranormal activity. Even worse than that, Issy is annoyingly attracted to one of them!

Armed with their unconventional posse of familiars, Issy and her cousins dodge the efforts of the 'real" police and the special FBI agents while following a twisty path of clues that lead to a shocking betrayal.

My Thoughts: Issy and her cousins need to find out who used black magic to murder town troublemaker Louella Drummond before the FBPI comes to town and does their own investigation. The FBPI has been noted to take any paranormals they uncover to a secret location and they never return.

Issy and her cousins are all witches as are many of the people living in the small town. In fact, one the the sheriff's deputies is a werewolf. Issy runs a pet shop, her cousin Raine is a landscaper, her cousin Gray runs the local beauty shop, and another cousin runs the candy store. All are white witches who enhance their products for good results.

Issy isn't expecting to fall for FBPI Agent Dex Nolan but Dex is unusual. He doesn't believe that paranormals exist.

This was an interesting mystery that combined magic and the mundane since the crime could have been committed to prevent a piece of land from being rezoned for a strip mall. Issy discovers that there is a species of endangered lizards on the land too which would be enough even with the fact they the lizards have magical uses.

This was a cute story and a nice mystery which begins a series.

Favorite Quote:

Part of her wanted to tell him he could continue waiting until the stars burned away. The other part of her, traitor that it was, wanted to cuddle up against his side and nuzzle his strong jaw, now covered by a hint of dark stubble. This close, he smelled of soap and fresh air and a hint of manly sweat.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.