If You've Got It, Haunt It - Review

Title:  If You’ve Got It, Haunt It

Author: Rose Pressey

Series: A Haunted Vintage Mystery #1

Synopsis: “Cookie Chanel has a passion for fashion – and a murder mystery to Solve!

     “Cookie Chanel has opened her own vintage clothing boutique, It’s Vintage; Y’All, in the charming town of Sugar Creek Georgia.  Always on the lookout for stylish second-hand steals, she attends the estate sale of deceased socialite Charlotte Meadows.  But she gets a lot more than she bargained for when Charlotte’s ghost appears before her – offering fashion advice and begging Cookie to find out who murdered her.

     “As the persistent poltergeist tags along and a possibly psychic pussycat moves into the shop, Cookie sorts through racks of suspects to see who may be hiding some skeletons in the closet.   Do a clothing store owner and a disembodied socialite have a ghost of a chance of collaring a killer – or will Cookie’s life be the next one hanging by a thread?”

Review:  I needed something light after my last read, which was dark and heavy. (If that interests you see my review of The Vanishing by Sophia Tobin here)  Any novel written by Rose Pressey that I’ve ever read has always been entertaining, light and fluffy to read.  If You’ve Got It, Haunt It was no exception.  I enjoy reading about vintage clothing connoisseurs, and I enjoyed Cookie as a character.  Cookie is a reluctant detective.  Solving mysteries and hunting for murderers is not really her idea of a good time.  She just wants to live her quiet life and run her vintage clothing store.  Charlotte bullies her into it, like that scene from Ghost where Patrick Swayze annoys Whoopie Goldberg until she agrees to do what he wants.  Here’s a video in case you don’t remember that scene:

     If you are looking for a serious, edge of your seat, thrill ride of a read this is not it.  If you are looking for something more light hearted and fun then definitely give the A Haunted Vintage Mystery series a try. 

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

If you like this book you may want to read:

Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery #1) by Juliet Blackwell

Caught Dead Handed (Witch City Mystery #1) by Carol J. Perry (Read BookGirlR’s review here)

Caught Dead Handed - Review

Title:  Caught Dead Handed

Author:  Carol J. Perry

Series:  Witch City Mystery #1

Synopsis:  “Most folks associate the city of Salem, Massachusetts with witches, but for Lee Barrett, it’s home.  This October she’s returned to her hometown – where her beloved Aunt Ibby still lives – to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH – TV.  But the only opening is for a call-in psychic to host the late night horror movies.  It seems the previous host, Ariel Constellation, never saw her own murder coming.

     “Lee reluctantly takes the job, but when she starts seeing real events in the obsidian ball she’s using as a prop, she wonders if she night really have psychic abilities.  To make things even spookier, it’s starting to look like Ariel may have been an actual practicing witch – especially when O’Ryan, the cat Lee and Aunt Ibby inherited from her, exhibits some strange powers of his own.  With Halloween fast approaching, Lee must focus on unmasking a killer – or her career as a psychic may be very short lived…”

Review:  I have a weakness for cozy mysteries involving cats, coffee, or the paranormal.  I call it my guilty pleasure, and for a long time I was embarrassed by it because cozies have a reputation for being fluffy or silly and for being full of clichés.  Well, yeah, that’s kind of true.  But I still enjoy them.  Sometimes it’s nice to read something you don’t have to think too much about. 

     Caught Dead Handed is a fun bit of fluff.  I enjoyed the characters, especially the cat, O’Ryan.  I think it would be fun to be a call-in psychic hosting late night horror movies on television.  Lee and Aunt Ibby are likable characters.  With a cozy you are pretty much guaranteed that everything will wrap up nicely in the end, and your favorite characters will be okay, but I was still compelled to stay up late to finish and find out what was going to happen.  I look forward to reading the rest of the series. 

Publisher:  Kensington

If you like this book you may want to read:

Tails You Lose (Witch City Mystery #2) by Carol J. Perry

A Familiar Tail (Witch’s Cat Mystery #1) by Delia James

Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery #1) Juliet Blackwell

Embers - Review

Title:  Embers

Author:  Laura Bickle

Series:  Anya Kalinczyk #1

Synopsis:     “Truth burns.

     “Unemployment, despair, anger – visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit’s unease.  A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.

     “Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters.  Anya – who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern – suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders.  By Devil’s Night the spell will be complete, unless Anya – with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team – can stop it.

     “Anya’s accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss.  But this time she’s risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is.  Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she’s ever faced.”

Review:  After reading Bickle’s The Hallowed Ones series (see the review of The Hallowed Ones here and The Outside here) a few years ago I’ve been wanting to read more by her.  I wish there was more in that series, but since there isn’t I picked up Embers instead.  I was not disappointed.  I enjoyed this novel just as much as the previous ones I had read. 

     I like stories about ghosts and mediums.  Embers puts a new spin on the familiar story by introducing a special, and rare, form of medium called a Lantern.  Anya is a strong female lead with a special gift, but she is definitely not perfect.  She has her faults and weaknesses.  My favorite character was Sparky, Anya’s familiar.  Bickle has done a great job developing her world and her characters; I frequently forgot that this was the first book in the series as it didn’t have any of that debut novel feel.  I recommend this novel, and I’ll be grabbing the next in the series, Sparks, during my next book shopping spree. 

Publisher:   Pocket Books

If you like this book you may want to read:

The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones #1) by Laura Bickle (read 

BookGirlR’s review here)

Greywalker (Greywalker #1) by Kat Richardson

The Voodoo Killings - Review

Title:  The Voodoo Killings

Author:  Kristi Charish

Series:  Kincaid Strange #1

Synopsis:     “Introducing Kincaid Strange, not your average Voodoo practitioner… For starters, she’s only twenty-seven.  And she lives in rain-soaked Seattle, which is not exactly Haiti.  And she’s broke.  Since raising zombies was outlawed, she has had to eke out a living by running séances for university students desperate for guitar lessons with the ghost of a grunge rocker – who happens to be Kincaid’s roommate.

     “Still, when a stray zombie turns up outside her local bar, she tries to help.  But not only is it dangerous for her to be caught with an unauthorized zombie, she soon realizes the zombie is tied to a spate of unsolved murders.  Someone is killing the zombies and voodoo practitioners connected to Seattle’s infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub.  When the police refuse to investigate, the City’s oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help.  She doesn’t want to chase a murderer: she’s broke but she’s not stupid…

     “But then she becomes the target.”

Review:  This is one of the best books that you’ve never heard of.  I hadn’t heard a peep about this book, and I follow a lot of book blogs, bookstagrams, and publishers.  But then a new friend of mine posted, on Facebook, that she had read it and enjoyed it.  I wanted a physical copy, not a Kindle copy, and it was really hard to find!  I live in Western NY and finally found a copy from a seller in Canada.  It took over 2 weeks to arrive and by the time it came I had kind of forgotten I’d ordered it.  So it was a nice little surprise! 

     This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.  I liked the world, and the characters are well developed.  The plot itself reads a lot like a “who-dun-it”, and I really had no idea until the very end who the bad guy really was.  I read a lot of zombie novels, and this is not your normal zombie novel.  The Voodoo Killings is a fun, fast-paced romp through a paranormal world full of strange and wonderful things.  I highly recommend fans of urban fantasy give the novels of Kristi Charish a try.  I can’t wait for the next book about Kincaid Strange!

Publisher:   Penguin Random House/ Vintage Canada

If you like this book you may want to read:

City of Light (Outcast Novels #1) by Keri Arthur

Blood of the Earth (Soulwood Novel #1) by Faith Hunter

Grave Sight - Review

Title:  Grave Sight

Author:  Charlaine Harris

Series:  Harper Connelly Mysteries Book 1

Synopsis:  “Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver are experts at getting in, getting paid, and then getting out of town fast, because the people who hire Harper have a funny habit of not really wanting to know what she has to tell them.  At first, the little Ozarks town of Sarne seems like no exception.  A teenage girl has gone missing, and Harper knows almost immediately that this girl is dead.  But the secrets of her death, and the secrets of the town, are deep enough that even Harper’s special ability can’t uncover them.  With hostility welling up all around them, she and Tolliver would like nothing better than to be on their way.  But then another woman is murdered.  And the killer’s not finished yet…”

Review:  I feel silly.  I had no idea that Charlaine Harris had written anything other than the Sookie Stackhouse series.  I found this gem by chance while perusing the shelves of a local used bookstore.  I snatched it right up!  Grave Sight was a really good book.  It wasn't a "stop everything and read until it’s done" kind of book that sucks you in and doesn't let go, but it was enjoyable.  Harper’s connection with the dead and her codependent relationship with Tolliver was well thought out and interesting.  The personal relationships that complicated things in Sarne, while rather predictable, were intriguing and kept me reading.  I recommend this light read and will be seeking out the rest of the series on my next trip to the used bookstore. 

Publisher:  Berkley Crime

ISBN:  078-0425212899

If you like this book you may want to read: 

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse Book 1) by Charlaine Harris

Don of the Dead (Pepper Martin Mysteries Book 1) by Casey Daniels

Haunted on Bourbon Street - Review

Title: Haunted on Bourbon Street
Author: Deanna Chase
 Series: Jade Calhoun #1
Format: Kindle E-Book


Synopsis: “Jade loves her new apartment--until a ghost joins her in the shower.
     "When empath Jade Calhoun moves into an apartment above a strip bar on Bourbon Street, she expects life to get interesting. What she doesn't count on is making friends with an exotic dancer, attracting a powerful spirit, and developing feelings for Kane, her sexy landlord.
     "Being an empath has never been easy on Jade's relationships. It's no wonder she keeps her gift a secret. But when the ghost moves from spooking Jade to terrorizing Pyper, the dancer, it's up to Jade to use her unique ability to save her. Except she'll need Kane's help--and he's betrayed her with a secret of his own--to do it. Can she find a way to trust him and herself before Pyper is lost?”

 Review: I love a good ghost story. After reading the above description of Haunted on Bourbon Street I was super excited. However, this novel was not all that I had hoped it would be. The story itself was wonderful and I did enjoy that aspect of the novel. The idea that author Deanna Chase has come up with is wonderful.  Who wouldn't love an empath who can connect with ghosts and who befriends the lovable strippers who work below her apartment.  This story could have been great, and shows a lot of promise.
     The writing  however, is what left much to be desired. In Haunted on Bourbon Street the characters are flat and large chunks of time are skipped over with no explanation.  These large chunks of time simply seem to be spots where the author didn't know how to describe certain things, or  perhaps it's where she got bored and wanted to skip ahead to the sexy bits.  However, by skipping chunks of time she leaves the reader hanging.  The author, Deanna Chase, may know what happens during these chunks of missing time but the reader doesn't.  And perhaps she would argue that what happened during those missing moments, hours, or days doesn't impact the story that she is trying to tell, but the way she handles it leaves the reader confused.  If a story teller is going to leave out large periods of time a bit of explanation is still required.  Because of the unprofessional writing I recommend that readers skip this novel and spend your time reading something else.

Publisher: Bayou Moon Publishing
ISBN: 0983797803
Skip this read and try one of these instead:

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory (Jolie Wilkins #1) ISBN: 1470088282

The Dead Path by Stephen Irwin ISBN: 978-0385533430

First Grave on the Right - Review

Title:  First Grave on the Right

Author: Darynda Jones

Series: Charley Davidson #1

Synopsis:  “Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper.  Meaning, she sees dead people.  Really.  And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light”.  But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice.  Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an entity who has been following her all her life… and it turns out he might not be dead after all.  In fact, he might be something else entirely.  But what does he want with Charley?  And why can’t she seem to resist him?  And what does she have to lose by giving in?”

Review:  First Grave on the Right is a seductive read.  I love paranormal romance novels, but sometimes I get sick of thinking a novel is going to be something new and different only to find out it’s the same old vampire/werewolf story.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love my vampire and shape shifter stories.  But sometimes I crave something different.  First Grave on the Right fulfilled that craving. 

          I also love a good ghost story.  Charley’s attitude toward the ghosts in her life cracked me up!  There’s Aunt Lillian who makes nonexistent coffee which Charley pretends to drink, and Mr. Habersham whose sole ambition in the afterlife seems to be to see Charley naked.  I like Ms. Jones’ writing style.  It only took me three hours to read First Grave on the Right because I simply could not put it down!  The scenes with Reyes were hot.  Hell, as a bad boy/protector figure Reyes himself is super hot!  I found Charley Davidson to be a highly sarcastic and fun character, and I highly recommend reading First Grave on the Right ASAP.

For an excerpt and some fun facts about First Grave on the Right see the authors website here.

Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press

ISBN:  978-0312360801

If you like this book you may want to read:

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price  (ISBN: 978-0451463807)

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens (ISBN: 978-0778329817)