I rarely read paranormal stories but I was intrigued by the blurb and fell right into this tale shortly after starting page one. The characters and stI rarely read paranormal stories but I was intrigued by the blurb and fell right into this tale shortly after starting page one. The characters and storylines were complicated, multi-layered, and difficult to get a bead on, causing the little pea in my brain to rattle non-stop. I was a willing victim to Ms. Merriman’s addictive storytelling and tumbled into an oddly disconcerting vortex that sucked me deeper and deeper into a misty plain of lost and/or helpful spirits.
The writing was so absorbing and easy to follow, that I felt I was as if I were fully present alongside the restless Rylan as she interacted with the living and departed. Despite diving into the series with the third installment, I felt no confusion or difficulties, but rather an intense yen to gather the two previous books for my reading enjoyment as well as to slate my curiosity about her previous adventures that led to her current state of affairs. ...more
I remember sitting rapt as my brother told us all about the mongees and “skids disease”. I believed them then because I was a little bFavorite Quotes:
I remember sitting rapt as my brother told us all about the mongees and “skids disease”. I believed them then because I was a little brother, and everything my big brother told me was gospel. They claimed the older boys had told them when they started just the same, passing them down through the generations, but I was pretty sure they had made them up themselves. I knew for certain that they invented skids disease when one of the juniors was found with skid marks in his pants.
I felt like I had stolen something, done something naughty, and every time I did something naughty it was followed by ten minutes of panic as I worried someone would find out. And for the rest of the day there would be the occasional stabs of further panic whenever someone said my name or started a sentence with something like “Can I talk to you?”
We arrived back at Camp all clean and fresh-smelling. This was the real reason we went swimming on a Tuesday afternoon: so that we were all presentable for visitors evening, and so that the juniors didn’t go home looking feral.
Even at thirteen I had noticed the irony that children always wanted to grow up, whereas grownups always wanted to be children again.
My Review:
Tom Trott has the uncanny ability to deftly weave a tale so thoroughly and smoothly that it flowed through my cranium like a well-cast movie. And BTW, this story would make an exceptional film. The storylines were eventful and somewhat complicated and of a genre I rarely dabble in, so it required a bit of thought to keep it aligned but was well worth the effort when it began to gel.
The tale was cunningly paced and mainly narrated by the character of Tommy with the self-centered observations and musings of a curious and whip-smart pre-adolescent boy who did not particularly enjoy the old fashioned summer camp for boys he was sent to each year. Tommy wore glasses and was a reader and observant thinker with a quick wit and the marshmallow center of a tender soul. He was soft and not at all interested or well suited for the physically demanding activities, oddly contrived athletic challenges, and fierce competitions the micromanaging camp directors instituted.
Tommy’s observations were laced with wry humor, a relentless curiosity, dread, and tween angst while enduring a week of constant group activities and the peculiar personalities of his fellow young campers and oddly disconcerting camp officers. This was not your typical summer camp coming of age tale nor was this a campfire story, although a few creative ones were included.
Mr. Trott’s memory must be exceptionally keen as he appears to well recall the allusive fine details, feelings of insecurity, futility, powerlessness, and the discomforts and confusion of early adolescence, as he has captured that tension well while embedding it within a slowly building and intriguing mystery.
Anyone who has experienced summer camp, whether ill-fated or nostalgically triumphant, will relate to at least a few the indignities found in this engaging missive. And as a bonus, I have learned the vast importance of an extra-secret handshake. ...more
I love bacon. I used to be a vegetarian, but I couldn’t give up the bacon. It’s like the gateway meat to a carnivorous lifestyle…
TheseFavorite Quotes:
I love bacon. I used to be a vegetarian, but I couldn’t give up the bacon. It’s like the gateway meat to a carnivorous lifestyle…
These photos are horrible. You need to work on that resting bitch face if you’re going to start posting selfies.
If there was ever a myth about vampires that truly bothered her, it was that they were dramatic, evil, universally untidy creatures. She prided herself in the clean and clinical nature with which she could suck a person dry without spilling a drop… The last thing she wanted was to splatter someone’s blood on her eighty-five-dollar yoga pants or even on her hospital scrubs. It was difficult to get out in the wash.
You’re young, but I’d like to let you in on a little secret. What gives life meaning is that one day it will be over. Which is exactly what makes being a vampire suck. It’s like that movie Groundhog Day, except there’s no Bill Murray and it never ends. Ever.
I knew I was different. I think my parents suspected as much and sent me off to one of those crazy camps where you are supposed to pray away the gay. At camp, two things happened. One, I met my first girlfriend, which was awesome, but I don’t think we prayed hard enough or something because we made out every chance we got.
My Review:
I rarely read paranormal tales as I am far too lazy for all that complicated world-building, but I’d read them on the regular if I could find crisply written and snappy ones like this. Forever 51 was a pure delight and full of sharp wit and clever snark from a fifty-one-year-old vampire trapped in perpetual menopause. The plot was unmatched in originality with curiously compelling storylines that amused and entertained while sucking me into a mysterious subculture that began to feel surprisingly real given the weirdness of the world we’ve been inhabiting during the last four years and especially the unholy, calamitous, and disastrous year of 2020. I will be ever so grateful to crack the spine on next year’s calendar.
I was unfailingly engaged and fascinated by the uncanny and keenly honed characters who were often dumpster fires and beyond peculiar yet were also intensely intriguing. I adored every well-chosen word of this oddly captivating, surreal, and dynamic missive. Pamela Skjolsvik is the bomb-diggity. I think I just might be besotted with her mad skills and covet her delectable and snarkalicious word voodoo. ...more
Adrian had discovered that back in King James VI’s day, North Berwick had been the site of one of the countries largest witch hunts. SoFavorite Quote:
Adrian had discovered that back in King James VI’s day, North Berwick had been the site of one of the countries largest witch hunts. Somewhere between seventy and two hundred witches had been executed. That figure had astounded him. He was amazed there was that many residents back in the fifteen hundreds, let alone witches.
My Review:
I don’t often read this genre but I made an exception for one of my favorite authors who had the notion to dabble with something new. This novella was expertly paced and had me transfixed to my Kindle while the creepiness factor steadily ratcheted up. I was squirming, and for good measure, not only was it creepy but given Tracie Podger’s skillful handling, it was hot as hell. Oh my, clutch the pearls! My brain and my gusset were both on fire. ...more
Listen to me, child. I saw it. The beast came for me on the mountain pass like a ghost with its white hair and devilish blue eyes. ItsFavorite Quotes:
Listen to me, child. I saw it. The beast came for me on the mountain pass like a ghost with its white hair and devilish blue eyes. Its teeth were sharp as razors. But worst of all, it was so like us. Monstrous and yet so human. The legends were true.
… inheritance is a trickster. One generation may hide its genetic treasures, while the next will put them fully on display.
Leopold had described the village as a seed pressed into a rocky furrow, and it seemed exactly that: a furtive garden in a fold of stone.
How strange it felt, to sit there so openly, my feet exposed. A lifetime of hiding them had made me self-conscious to the point of neurosis. But there was no reason to hide my feet from these people.
My Review:
The Ancestor was a bracing and chilling tale of an epic legacy of dark secrets and unknown wealth hidden in the ice and snow. While not my typical read, I was quickly pulled into an oddly captivating vortex of unnerving and itchy intrigue. It was easy to follow, highly creative, monstrously eerie, and the most distressing part was that it was conceivably plausible. Despite feeling edgy, unsettled, and nibbling on my cuticles - I was enslaved by my curiosity and unable to put my Kindle down.
The narrative was richly textured, cunningly conceived, and maddeningly paced. I was engrossed and conflicted while I cycled between feeling appalled and entranced. To illustrate Ms. Trussoni’s exceptional word voodoo, I was mentally frostbitten by her descriptive depictions of the harsh Alpine weather that entrenched the beset characters while in reality, I was barefoot, clad in shorts, and comfortably lounging with an open window and ceiling fan on a balmy day in the tropics. She has mad skills. ...more
I was starting to feel like one of those kids in a horror movie who goes down into the basement without turning the light on. Honestly,Favorite Quote:
I was starting to feel like one of those kids in a horror movie who goes down into the basement without turning the light on. Honestly, it made sense at the time.
My Review:
I was totally annoyed and completely exasperated with the main character of Becca – she dithered, she waffled, she was immature and irresponsible and made one boneheaded decision after another. I was so disgusted with her I declared her limited brain cells aloud to my Kindle with, “What a moron!” Yet I couldn’t have stopped reading if my hair had been on fire. I was deeply invested and had to know what happened if I ever wanted to sleep again as the diabolical storyteller known as Michelle P.W. had my attention. There were lots of twists and turns and surprising revelations. I spun and cast aside several theories and was oh so confident that I had it figured out… I was so very wrong. The storylines were active, taut with tension and angst, and involved so many poor choices that I wondered if Becca might have suffered one too many blows to the head, but I couldn’t have been happier with the choice of life-saving hero. ...more
Poor Cherry. As much comfort as a pair of nettle knickers.
You’re about as much use as a sniper with Parkinson’s…
Porter sipped the cofFavorite Quotes:
Poor Cherry. As much comfort as a pair of nettle knickers.
You’re about as much use as a sniper with Parkinson’s…
Porter sipped the coffee. After the drink and drugs, it was like getting a snog from Aphrodite.
Get me some water. I’m drier than an Arab’s roof. Has someone been stuffing my gob full of crackers?
“There’s one room here, the Oubliette, where a ghost strokes you in the night. Not in a nice way either.” “Is there a nice way to be stroked by a ghost in the night?” “Probably not, but then I’ve been single for a while,” said Feng.
Feng expected to find a doddery old man, wrapped in blankets, dribbling. He was met, instead, by a chipper bald-headed man, with monstrous tentacles of nasal hair... His white eyebrows were the size of slippers. More hair than Barry Gibb in his prime –none of it on top.
They’re not Bond villains with a masterplan. They're the spiritual equivalent of a plague… There are nuclear and chemical weapons now. If yours gets to its full power… It would take seconds for it to realise it should go after the man with the nuclear football. Look who's holding that. He's barely got a mind to control, but I'm guessing, what there is of it, would be easy prey.
He pressed the Facetime button. Zouche appeared, picking his nose, with the gusto of the Seven Dwarves digging for diamonds.
Awkwardness patrolled their corridor like a Pac-Man.
My Review:
Admittedly, anything paranormal is not my usual read but there is nothing about this cunningly crafted, highly amusing and vastly imaginative tale that could be considered as usual. The original storylines were exceptionally creative and bristled robustly with intriguing conundrums and life-threatening events that kept the initially skeptical characters scurrying and adapting on the fly. Mr. Burkinshaw’s tantalizing and engaging writing style quickly lured me into his characters' rather odd vortex, while his clever humor and sneaky strokes of levity had me occasionally barking aloud, as well as smirking and giggle-snorting throughout.
His deftly penned descriptions evoked sharp visuals, which were often outrageously comical, although a few gave my delicate intestines a queasy churn. This deviously clever scribe cast his tale with an unending group of peculiar characters who were each perceptively drawn with their own quirky traits and unique histories, while also realistically delineated with recognizable and mind-tickling human foibles which often led to humorous encounters, and delightfully amusing observations and inner musings. I had four pages of favorite quotes and notes highlighted and have gleefully added his name to my list of talents to watch and hope I am paying attention when his next missive is given wings.
I’ve gained three new words and phrases for my ever-expanding Brit Word List with struck off – which is officially being barred from working in one’s profession or field; bonce – head; and screaming abdabs – being extreme nervousness. ...more
Sheena might have other attributes than being a domestic goddess.
My Review:
Whisper To Me was a quick, easy, and engaging read that keptFavorite Quote:
Sheena might have other attributes than being a domestic goddess.
My Review:
Whisper To Me was a quick, easy, and engaging read that kept me a bit on edge with both curiosity and anticipation of the next spectral manifestation and/or act of retribution. I enjoyed the premise and creative storylines as well as the cleverly unique characters who enticed and beckoned my interest. Theo had promised his first wife Tish, that he would not remarry if she were to die before him, although after several years as a widower, he lost his big head and was primarily using his little head when Sheena, a less than hygienic yet wildly carnal woman with a large sexual appetite, showed him some attention. Sheena quickly got a ring on her finger and she and little yappy dog with indiscriminate toileting habits were soon ensconced in Theo’s home, soiling and defiling every surface and invoking a demented rage from Tish’s lingering entity. Odd things began to happen, but being that she was not the brightest bulb in the pack, it took a while for Sheena to notice.
Additional storylines involved other characters although those involving the vile and odiferous Sheena were my favorites. The story wrapped up but didn’t fully conclude and left room for continuation, which I sincerely hope will be the case. I gleaned a new addition to my Brit word list with midden, which from Northern UK and Scottish usage would be a trash heap.
Mother has thrown herself into the occupation of invalid with her characteristic vigor and dedication. She has the wholeMy Rating:
3.5
Favorite Quote:
Mother has thrown herself into the occupation of invalid with her characteristic vigor and dedication. She has the whole household on pins and needles.
My Review:
I struggled valiantly with this one to the very end; it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a bad book just, unfortunately, an avalanche of my pet peeves. While the premise was interesting and the storylines were imaginative and well written, the plot unfolded at an extremely slow pace and was cast with largely unlikable and disagreeable characters. This book felt more historical YA than anything else, and there is a reason I don’t often read YA; I tend to become exasperated with the characters, which unfortunately happened here. The parents were indifferent and disinterested in parenting, the older sister was vile, and the main character was naïve and spineless.
The author performed an excellent job of maintaining tension, as most of the characters were uptight, fractious, deceitful, and largely uncommunicative while the storylines were taut with family drama, angst, and conflict. The sense of impending doom was well executed from beginning to end. This wealthy family had fled Boston on the edge of ruin to avoid scandal, although it is well into the book before the actual cause of the scandal was exposed and wow – it was not the usual twist. I was intrigued and curious about the otherworldly issues which were the most creative and entertaining aspects to the tale, but sadly, those story threads occupied but a small portion of the narrative. I was considerably frustrated and circling despair when the last few pages finally allowed me to unclench my jaw with a satisfactory HEA although I still despised most of them… but I tend to hold a grudge....more
She’d given up on calling it prayer years ago. Prayers were meant to be answered. So far, Missy’s had not been.
In five years he’d exhiFavorite Quotes:
She’d given up on calling it prayer years ago. Prayers were meant to be answered. So far, Missy’s had not been.
In five years he’d exhibited all the spontaneity of a wet match.
He’d watched his mother paint her whole face, kind of like a human paint-by-numbers. She could even do it with a cigarette in her hand, though she repeatedly insisted it was her last one.
He wore metal through so many pieces of flesh that Levi imagined unhooking them would cause the punk rocker to fall apart.
My Review:
I immediately tumbled into this captivating and consuming tale during page one and practically loathed reaching the last page, as I didn’t want to leave the story behind. Thankfully I have the next two books to hopefully sate my appetite for this talented mastermind’s cunning word voodoo. Her clever storylines and skillfully adroit writing style were ingeniously crafted, lushly detailed, and highly evocative. It was sublime. ...more
He longed for Esme the way you might want air in a sealed tomb.
I just saved you from a gang of boys with ideas that’d make nuns faint!Favorite Quotes:
He longed for Esme the way you might want air in a sealed tomb.
I just saved you from a gang of boys with ideas that’d make nuns faint!
Listen to me when I tell you it won’t stop, Pete. The dead haven’t anything better to do.
His eyes were set so close Esmerelda thought he could be his own one-eyed act.
Caroline thinks she meditates. Translation, three hours of binge watching Dexter.
My Review:
All three books in this series have been astoundingly well-crafted, ingeniously plotted, cleverly written, and tantalizingly unpredictable. While I rapturously enjoyed all three books, Echo Moon was the most intriguing, complicated, and riveting of the bunch. I had to read it slowly to ensure that I retained all the twisty and cryptic clues, but more so that I could savor every well-chosen word. The storyline cleverly brought together all the unique characters and their talents, foibles, and leftover mysteries from the previous installments, and incorporated them with new and complex issues that had been tormenting the main character of Pete since childhood.
I rarely read paranormal or otherworldly genres but I was stunned by the realization of how much I was enjoying the creative and unusual concepts that are so agilely put forth in this series in such a believable and plausible manner. I am in awe of Ms. Spinella’s wordcraft. She has mad skills and I greedily covet her cunning wordplay. I found all her characters to be well drawn, endearingly quirky, and enticingly detailed, with my favorite being her “redheaded actress who ate like a lumberjack.” I read all three books in succession and have basically been living this family for close to a week. I am already mourning the loss of their company....more
If it was possible to be silent on top of silent, that’s what she was doing. Unfortunately, it backfired, and silence translated into Favorite Quotes:
If it was possible to be silent on top of silent, that’s what she was doing. Unfortunately, it backfired, and silence translated into a loud confession.
Dylan—a curly-haired kid with fat dimples and bright eyes—burped loud enough to rattle bric-a-brac.
My Review:
The mystery and intrigue were increasingly compelling in depth and breadth, with additional twists, unique complications, unpredictable detours, and remarkable discoveries. The tautly written and complex storylines were deviously well constructed and maddeningly paced and along with the prickly and contentious relationship between the main characters; I was on edge and anxious for elucidation and resolution. The massive amount of clues was daunting yet more puzzling was their cryptic nature which required keen attention and concentration. I was rapt to my Kindle and hugely annoyed when my traitorous eyes demanded I stop for sleep. I had been a bit conflicted about Zeke throughout, but the sweetness of his final story broke my heart. I am more than eager to dive into book three, Echo Moon. ...more
Gary did the finger thing, which looked more like an ‘up yours’ than the three-fingered salute synonymous with the organisation. Cat dFavorite Quotes:
Gary did the finger thing, which looked more like an ‘up yours’ than the three-fingered salute synonymous with the organisation. Cat doubted he’d ever been a Boy Scout. More like a street gang member, all swagger and lager.
It’s been a very long time… but they say it’s like riding a bike. Although we might have to go through a few gears to hit our stride.
Stewart looked uncomfortable at her question. Seeing him squirm in his seat was akin to watching a politician being grilled about dodgy expense claims.
Lost her husband? How she hated that phrase. As if she’d misplaced him, like a house key or a phone.
There was nothing wrong with Roger; he was just a million miles from right. Maybe his perfect match was in French Polynesia, patiently weaving a hair garland and dreaming of a man with cartoon character undies.
How he could display remarkable dexterity when shooting down villains on Play Station yet miss the toilet bowl by inches when peeing was another of life’s mysteries.
My Review:
Part 2 adds several new wrinkles and concerns, some of which squeezed my heart. Death has always been a difficult and uncomfortable process for me to work through, it was how I knew the medical field was not for me and brought about a swift change in career planning. Hattie has gotten comfortable with the specter that was her late husband, although he has brought his otherworldly “mission” to her for assistance as a go-between in dealing with the living. I don’t know how I would handle Hattie’s conundrum of a deceased husband who has not… departed, yet isn’t an angel or a zombie. I am enjoying this original and entertaining premise, although I want to give Hattie’s friend Cat a whack in the head with my Kindle for her resounding stupidity. I smirked and giggled-snorted over the witty twist used for a child’s orange-faced troll doll named Grump, who was named for the man he resembles in the media. Snort. I adore Ms. Davis’s imagination, insights, and clever humor and am extremely eager for Part 3 to magically appear on my Kindle. Hurry Ms. Davis, please! ...more
“Sammy Salami?” That couldn’t be real. None of this could be real. Maybe Marner was right and I had lost my mind. BecauseMy Rating:
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
“Sammy Salami?” That couldn’t be real. None of this could be real. Maybe Marner was right and I had lost my mind. Because no one should have a nickname that referenced processed meat.
I didn’t need to be insulted by a man with hair on his ears and a belly that rivaled a woman pregnant with triplets at full term.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief and finished my drive home singing along to the Backstreet Boys, a guilty pleasure that brought to mind awkward middle school dances where I had been sporting braces, a denim mini-skirt and Uggs. I hadn’t been a seductress then either.
She gave him a quick kiss and went back to work, giving a laugh that was throaty and mature and sexual. A laugh can sound that way, trust me. And only women over forty know how to do it. I wondered if at thirty-nine a switch would flip and I would magically understand how to be seductive, a genuine femme fatale.
My Review:
I giggle-snorted my way through this cleverly written and delightful amusing conclusion to the weak stomached Bailey’s ghostly murder-solving spree. With this installment, Bailey continued to receive occasional visitations from her friend Ryan but had also picked up the additional spirit of her new client who happened to be a freshly murdered rotund mobster named Cezar who had been unfortunately killed while in his swim trunks. Cezar tortured and blackmailed Bailey into helping him by loudly “caterwauling” off-key to his repertoire of pop divas like Brittany Spears until she finally caved and agreed to assist him in locating his missing body. Her romance with the stud muffin policeman, Jake Marner, was finally on track and he made for a sweet and perfect boyfriend. Jake currently resides on my list of sexy BBF. Written from the first person POV of Bailey, I greatly enjoyed her humorous inner musings and comical descriptions. Erin McCarthy has mad skills. Empress DJ ...more
I was curious as to how this series would wrap up and enjoyed the sweet conclusion that Banishing brought to the Silent Cove TrMy Rating:
3.5
My Review:
I was curious as to how this series would wrap up and enjoyed the sweet conclusion that Banishing brought to the Silent Cove Trilogy. The premise was interesting although the story evolved ever so slowly much like the lightning pace of a terrapin. I enjoyed the thoughtful details and emotive descriptions, but my favorite thing about this installment was the kind and gentle character of Jack. ...more
People could be cruel in their Christian values, and often found guilt through association with those they perceived as less than godlFavorite Quotes:
People could be cruel in their Christian values, and often found guilt through association with those they perceived as less than godly individuals… Those were the same people who would come to parties at the mansion Maurice had spent millions to build and then given to his mistress. They were all two-faced Saturday night sinners who would beg for forgiveness in church on Sunday morning.
It wasn't a question, which wasn't all that surprising in a small town like Chistine. Some of these families had been among the first settlers in the area. New people stuck out like a pimple on picture day.
Holy mother of lust!
My Review:
Carmen and Angelo seem to have found the secret to transforming Silent Cove B&B into a successful enterprise by marketing themselves as having something extra special and outside the norm of the typical B&B on their lovely grounds, and thankfully, it is working. Yet even with protections in place, additional somethings (or someones) have slipped through to find and bedevil one of the new guests with a family connection. These sly writers have added an additional level of intrigue, tragedy, and drama to the series with a totally new specter, as well as several additional mysteries to cause distress to the living and stir the ire of the restless spirits. The plot was twisty and a bit complicated by a long slate of family members/characters past and present to track and make sense of, although my addled pea brain managed just fine, which proves the task doable. ...more
Her death certificate should’ve been stamped ‘does not play well with others'…
My Review:
I enjoyed this easy to follow and My Rating:
4.5
Favorite Quote:
Her death certificate should’ve been stamped ‘does not play well with others'…
My Review:
I enjoyed this easy to follow and compelling paranormal mystery from beginning to end. Carmen and Angelo D’Agostino were a young couple who had left their meddlesome family and friends thousands of miles across the country to strike out on their own adventure, only to find they had been scammed. Their money was gone with nothing to show for it, no hope of recovery, and no home or business to run as well as limited possibilities in the small town they had moved to, although that old B&B looked promising and seemed fortuitously cheap. Oops, it came with something extra, like restless and bitter spirits. The storyline was intriguing, creative, and well-paced and packed with alluring and odd characters; and also gives new meaning to the phrase of getting the dirt on someone. While this story can stand-alone, I look forward to diving into the other two books of this trilogy....more
I’ve learned a few things about myself recently. I can eat a whole pint of ice cream in one glorious dairy-fueled sitting. I’m attractFavorite Quotes:
I’ve learned a few things about myself recently. I can eat a whole pint of ice cream in one glorious dairy-fueled sitting. I’m attracted to Cleveland cop Jake Marner, who I had previously known for years without ever lusting after. And I see dead people.
I had once assumed that ghosts were either exactly as they were in life (a la Rose on the Titanic meeting Jack at the stairs), or caught as they were the moment death stole their breath. Which would suck if you died in the shower.
I really didn’t understand how I was even on purgatory’s radar. I couldn’t get a date, yet the afterlife was monitoring me? Not very encouraging.
Not only was I getting ghostly contact with Ryan and Hannah, people I had known personally, but now apparently if I even came near a corpse its ghost would attach to me. I made a mental note to stay the hell away from funeral homes and ERs. I’d wind up with a flash mob of spirits following me. A real life Thriller video.
My mother always looked like a million bucks and ten years younger than she was. Maybe her sour attitude had preserved her. Like pickling in vinegar.
Body parts is a big old ten on the scale of shit I don’t want to see.
My Review:
A perusal of Goodreads informed me that the illustrious Erin McCarthy has 106 distinct works across several different genres, and for some inexplicable reason, this is the first one I have read... for shame! But, at least I chose a good one to start with, and while it was the second book in a cozy mystery series and I felt a bit at sea in the beginning - as if starting off of the back foot mid story – it was relatively easy to catch on and catch-up, although I would like to go back and read the origins of the tale with the first book, Gone With the Ghost.
Bailey was helping her recently deceased friend Ryan, who now appears to her as a ghost, solve his murder so that he would be allowed to exit purgatory. Then suddenly another ghost unexpectedly arrived who was Ryan’s last girlfriend, and then another popped up, that oddly, the first two ghosts could not see. All of her new friends turned out to be murder victims. Bailey seemed to be collecting restless spirits like I collect books.
I rarely read paranormal but I enjoyed the premise as well as the peculiar assortment of characters, secondary story threads, and amusing and light storyline. I was entertained by the tale and enjoyed Ms. McCarthy’s comical, insightful, and witty writing style with hidden Easter Eggs of humor tucked in throughout. One of my favorite elements in the story was Bailey’s friend, Alyssa, who was “revenge dating” a man who had humiliated her in high school as a chubby teen. Alyssa had matured into a gorgeous vixen and had learned to use her sexy curves to her advantage, although she confessed to Bailey, “All I hear when I look at him is him calling me a cow in the cafeteria and seventy-two people laughing.” Sigh, Ms. McCarthy is a clever scribbler and has been added to my “List To Stalk.”...more
She doesn’t look suspicious, she looks constipated.
Ava took a long, satisfying drag on her cigarette. She’d given in to its siren callFavorite Quotes:
She doesn’t look suspicious, she looks constipated.
Ava took a long, satisfying drag on her cigarette. She’d given in to its siren call after she’d eaten the two cupcakes she’d snuck from the kitchen at the manor. Sadly, they were divine, and probably a thousand calories each.
I wanna write a new ending to our story. One that has you growing old by my side.
My Review:
This series is an amusing hybrid of genres including cozy mystery, contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and paranormal. Starlight Bridge continues to provide a clever and amusing premise with ongoing family drama, feuds, angst, ghostly interference, gossip, espionage, sabotage, busy body aunties, rivalries, greed, heartbreak, and a few second chance romances. The storyline is a slowly evolving melodrama with multiple plot threads with quirky and intriguing characters that seem to have their own secrets and agendas. Thankfully, among the tension and angst, I also found an equal amount of comical scenes and amusing banter. I enjoyed the humor as well as the use of a fumbling ghost who is hampered by limited energy and ghostly knowledge as well as a small territory for her haunting, yet her cat taught her to use him as her minion to influence or garner the attention of the living. As a cat lover, I found that to be quite clever. I am looking forward to the next installment and hope to ascertain the mystery behind Dana as well as the contents of the Book of Secrets. Color me intrigued....more
The sensation is as unsurprising now as drawing a breath or falling asleep. A numbness spreads across the body, the blood growing slugFavorite Quotes:
The sensation is as unsurprising now as drawing a breath or falling asleep. A numbness spreads across the body, the blood growing sluggish. The eyelids turn weighted. The body is rearranging itself to make room, my consciousness rising and scattering like wary birds sensing an unknown presence.
The sensation of Sylvia’s presence is there and gone, like catching a shadowy movement from the corner of my eye. I’m brushing my teeth. I blink, and my reflection is a stranger’s; blink again and I’m myself.
We stare at each other. My gaze is twice as dense as his. It’s the unevenness of a roomful of people staring at one subject. He must sense it too; he breaks eye contact to look at the floor.
We met when we were both roughened and torn, our hearts tattered enough to snag on each other’s.
My Review:
Edie is employed as a conduit or “body” for channeling the dead for those seeking closure as they mourn their lost loved ones. There are strict rules at the Elysian Society, the agency where she worked, rules Edie had never considered breaking, until recently. The plot was unique, ingenious, and perfectly crafted. The writing was exquisitely detailed, richly textured, vibrantly alluring, and fiercely enthralling. Written from a first person POV, the narrative was smoothly polished and intensely compelling. I was transported and firmly implanted in Edie’s body, or maybe I was channeling her? I believed I even felt her woozy sensations from the effects of her trance-inducing medication. Ms. Murphy has deftly produced not one but three gripping mysteries in a book packed with intriguing characters and a smartly written and pulsating storyline. ...more