Review: Bone Pendant Girls by Terry S. Friedman

Bone Pendant Girls

by Terry S. Friedman

Release Date: January 30, 2024

2024 CamCat Books

Ebook Edition; 368 Pages

ISBN: 978-0744307924

ASIN: B0C2F6B2RR

Audiobook: B0CP69K58D

Genre: Fiction / Paranormal

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Beware of jewelry that calls to you. Andi Wyndham has been able to communicate with spirits since she was a kid. When a bone pendant carved into the likeness of a girl’s face calls to her at a gem show in Pennsylvania, she can’t resist buying it and a sister piece. When she discovers the girls are missing runaways and the pendants made of human bone, Andi is drawn into a mystery that will force her to confront her gifts, her guilt, and the ghosts haunting her. 

 

Pendant Girls Mariah and Bennie urge Andi to find a man they call "Fisherman,” a master of disguise. Teaming up with a handsome P. I. and a South Carolina sheriff, Andi must find the girls’ bodies and put their souls to rest, before the Fisherman casts his deadly net to trap Andi.

 

My Thougths

Bone Pendant Girls is one of those books that intrigued me because of the interesting title and the fascinating cover page.  I am not usually one who is swayed by cover pages as I tend to choose books more about the subject matter, but I can appreciate beautifully done cover pages when I see them.  It was the ghost story that definitely drew me in and I found that aspect of the story to be both tragic and well-done at the same time.

 

Most of the story is told from Andi's POV, but several of the chapters are told from a couple of other characters POV as well.  I am still unsure if the multiple POV was necessary, but at least it didn't detract from the story in any way.  I enjoyed this author's writing style, thought the story was fun and interesting, and liked the twists and turns, some of them I didn't quite catch.  And while I appreciate it when an author shows you what happens through dialogue and through a character's perspective, I did feel like the author needed to tighten up a few things in the story as there were some inconsistencies.  There were times when I thought I missed something important and had to back track to double-check, only to find it wasn't me, but the way the story was written.  

 

The story moved along rather quickly, with a lot of things happening, and the tension level kept me turning the pages especially in the last 25% of the book.  One of the issues I did have with this book was the lack of knowledge about the actual serial killer as I felt the reader didn't fully get an understanding of their motivations or the reasons behind the killings and while this didn't lower the tension level, it did affect it as I couldn't relate to how they got where they did and how they knew what they did.  There was no closure in that regard. 

Andi was a great character and I liked her sense of humour considering she had to deal with both a serial killer and a crazy ex-husband on top of everything.  I loved her inner monologue when speaking to the ghosts and trying to figure out how she would impart information she received to the police and the P.I. without giving away how she got her information, and found it quite humourous. In all fairness, if I was investigation something and someone told me they go their information from ghosts and shadows, I'd be skeptical as well, and I believe in ghosts.  I also liked how she didn't do anything stupid when trying to gain information as that is the one things that always bothers me when reading some of these books, and she didn't information from the police as if she was entitled to it.  

Verdict

Bone Pendant Girls was a great debut novel and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  The story moved along quickly and the paranormal element was very interesting and incorporated quite seamlessly.  I did feel like there were some inconsistencies with the plot and character development, and I wished we knew more about the serial killer as there was little about their motives and reasons, but overall, it was full of tension and quite enjoyable.  I will definitely read another book by this author in the future.

 

Review: Death From Beyond by Sharon Linnéa

Death From Beyond (Bartender's Guide to Murder, Book #4)

by Sharon Linnéa

Release Date: September 2, 2023

2023 Arundel Publishing

Audiobook Edition (7h12m); 268 Pages

ISBN: 978-1933608396

ASIN: B0CG6VBJBX

Genre: Fiction / Paranormal / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

1.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

It's Halloween and Avalon is on the outs with her boyfriend, her cop friend and her best friend. When she ventures into the ruins of an old lodge above the town, she uncovers evidence of murders that have haunted the locals for decades. Then a new friend, in town for a high school reunion, vanishes and she must battle the deadly danger that continues to stalk Tranquility to this day. Some things are called spooky for a reason. And sometimes, those who are alive are most frightening of all.

 

My Thoughts

Death From Beyond was honestly a bit of a disappointment. I listened to the audiobook version and I have to admit there were times when I had to rewind as I found myself drifting off as I had difficulty engaging with the story line.  I don't think it's the narrator's fault as I just feel there wasn't enough material for the story itself to be engaging.

 

First of all, the actual story definitely does not live up to the premise of the story as there was an implied paranormal element that was supposed to be included.  Unfortunately, there was a definite lack of ghosts in this book and while I normally would not have minded, it bothers me when something is touted in such a fashion, and then ... nothing.  

 

The plot itself actually had a lot of promise and I would have liked it a lot better if the reader was allowed to think and conjecture without being led along by the nose.  The book pretty much tells you the story rather than show you what's happening, trying to lead you down a certain path, rather than letting the reader figure things out as they go. Considering there were some sensitive topics in this story, this is definitely not the way to approach this as it becomes more suggestive of being preachy rather than showing the problematic nature of the issues and allowing the reader to decide for themselves wherein the problems lie. Personally, I have an issue when I am led by the nose, especially when subjects such as sexuality, abuse, and bullying are being presented, even if I agree with the side of the author. That's not the point, the point is to be able to think clearly about the issues on my own and make up my own mind.  Furthermore, the mystery itself was fairly predictable with few twists and turns so it was fairly easy to figure out what was happening and who was involved.

 

I didn't read the previous books in the series, but I don't think it really mattered. While I would have perhaps understood the relationships between the main characters a bit better, I didn't actually find them to be that distinct from each other in this book as they all seemed one-dimensional in nature. I just didn't care for any of them as a result, and had a difficult time connecting with their issues and feeling any empathy for their situations. And while I like the recipes included in the book, I also found them distracting as they were intrusive and did not seem to fit the narrative.  

 

Verdict

Death From Beyond suffered from a lack of character and plot development and I had a difficult time getting through this book.  This was touted as a ghost story, but ghost stories tend to actually have ghosts in them, and this...didn't.  At this point, I have no desire to read the first three books in this series.  It's too bad as the there was a lot to like in the premise. 

 

Review: Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

Such Sharp Teeth

by Rachel Harrison

Release Date: October 4, 2022

2022 Berkley Books

Kindle Edition; 336 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593545829

ASIN: B09PZTY9TW

Audiobook: B09S2JP43Q

Genre: Fiction / Paranormal

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

Rory Morris isn't thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it is temporary. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby's father, and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she'd put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she's attacked.

Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She's unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver--and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She's changing into someone else--something else, maybe even a monster. But does that mean she's putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside of her the key to acceptance?

My Thoughts

Such Sharp Teeth had the potential to be a really great story, but I really think it fell short of being a horror novel.  I did enjoy the changes Rory experiences as she turns into a werewolf and the horror she feels over everything that is happening, and I thought the secondary characters were interesting and well thought out, but I want my werewolves to be scary and bad, and this was definitely not it.  In fact, this read more like a paranormal romance than a horror novel.

First of all, I really liked Rory as a main character. I liked her sarcasm and witty comments as she dealt with all the changes that were happening to her body.  It made me wonder what I would have done in that situation, and she handled everything with a lot more grace and dignity than I think I would have.  However, she was turning into a werewolf. You know, a big, bad, kill people, I want meat, werewolf, So, other than the fact she was slightly concerned about the full moon and what that would entail, I was the one freaking out, wondering why she was not freaking out, considering she was living with her pregnant twin sister, knowing she would be a great meal if she suddenly turned.  And I would have been so disappointed if the big bad werewolf could distinguish between her sister and everyone else for dinner.  I mean, there should be high fear, and consequences. My pulse should have been racing. But nope. That was as far as it went. 

Except for maybe Rory's concern over what Ian, her newest love interest, may now think. And that was her big concern, that he may not want her because she couldn't have children. Wait, what? Considering big bad wolf might eat said children, probably for the best, don't you think?   Naturally, he's the perfect guy, so any issues they have will be resolved quite easily. 

I did like the subplots and themes in the book although I don't think they went far enough or explored them in enough detail.  Themes of sexual abuse and grooming were mentioned in the book, but I wasn't a fan of how they were glossed over and liked how Rory wasn't so forgiving with her mother about them despite others wanting her to just close the episode and find everlasting peace.  The lack of control over the changes that are happening when she changes into a werewolf kind of reflect the angst she has with her mother over what happened during her childhood. Interesting stuff.  

Verdict

Such Sharp Teeth could have been great, but unfortunately, it went into the paranormal direction rather than in a horror direction and became more 'cutesy' than frightful.  As a horror novel, I wanted dread and suffering and terror. There was none of this. And when the wolfsbane came out, I knew it was game over.  However, I did like the characters and thought the dialogue was witty and fun. I also enjoyed the scenes where Rory transformed or had to deal with werewolf stuff as I found it interesting and comical. Notice that word, comical. Shouldn't I have been feeling dread? So, if you like a light paranormal romance read featuring a werewolf, this one is for you. As for me, I was somewhat disappointed in this book. And horror fans, if you are looking for the dread and suffering, this is not for you.

 

Review: All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz

All the Colors of Night (Fogg Lake, Book #2)

by Jayne Ann Krentz

Release Date: January 5th 

2021 Berkley

Kindle Edition; 304 Pages

ISBN: 978-1984806819

ASIN: B086SFSGWH

Genre: Fiction / Paranormal

Source: Review copy from publisher

2.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

North Chastain possesses a paranormal talent that gives him the ability to track down the most dangerous psychic criminals. When his father suddenly falls into a coma, North is convinced it was caused by a deadly artifact traced back to the days of a secret government laboratory known only as the Bluestone Project. North knows his only hope of saving his father is to find the artifact. He is good when it comes to tracking down killers but to locate the relic, he's going to need help from a psychic who knows the shadowy world of obsessive collectors, deceptive dealers, and ruthless raiders…

With her reputation in ruins after a false accusation, antique expert Sierra Raines is looking for a fresh start. She turns to the murky backwaters of the paranormal artifacts trade, finding and transporting valuable objects with a psychic provenance. When North Chastain approaches her for help, Sierra takes him on as a client, though not without reservations. North represents the mysterious Foundation, the secretive organization established to police the underworld populated by psychic criminals and those, like Sierra, who make a living in the shadows of that world.

North and Sierra soon find themselves at the scene of The Incident that occurred decades ago in Fogg Lake. The town and its residents were forever changed by the disaster in the nearby Bluestone Project labs. The pair unearth shocking truths about what happened that fateful night, but they are playing with fire—someone in town knows what they’ve discovered and will do anything to make sure the secrets stay buried.

 

My Thoughts

All the Colors of Night is the second book in the Fogg Lake series, and though I didn't read the first book, it wasn't hard to figure out what was happening or to catch up on the characters and their situations.  Why? Because it was extremely predictable.  I have been a long time fan of this author, but this book is definitely not one of my favourites as the plot seemed to be a mishmash of previous plots, the characters were okay, and it was so predictable, I was able to pinpoint what was going to happen early on in the book.  What made me finish the book? Because it was a Jayne Ann Krentz book, of course. 

 

Is this book worth reading? I gave it the rating I did simply because overall the story is somewhat entertaining, and if you have never read a book by this author, you would have no idea how similar it is to previous books in her collection.  It does have all of the author's trademark paranormal tropes including a hero who does not let down his guard, a heroine who is gutsy and doesn't take any crap, a father who was attacked and is slowly dying but no one understands why, a secret weapon, plenty of paranormal stuff happening that naturally requires teamwork to solve, and secret societies who are searching for said secret weapon. And all of that requires some romantic suspense, naturally.  Done.  I feel like these books have turned into the Heather Graham books where you know exactly what is going to happen as they have become predictable, with nothing new added in to spice it up.  

For me, I really felt like the author focused so much on developing the story that the character development kind of fell to the wayside.  I wasn't overly empathetic to either of these characters, not particularly caring what happened to either of them.  It wasn't that they weren't likeable, I just didn't feel the chemistry between them.  And the visit to Fogg Lake seemed really contrived; there is only so much belief you can suspend before you go, Nope, I'm done. 

 

Verdict

All the Colors of Night was a predictable read, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like the plot was one of the weakest aspects of this book as so much time and effort was spent explaining the paranormal elements rather than letting the reader figure things out as they went through the book.  The main characters lacked chemistry, and I blame that on the muddled mess of a plot as it didn't give the characters a chance to shine.   I really think new readers to this author will love this book, but I wonder if long-time readers will have the same reaction I did. This is one I can't really recommend although I do recommend her other paranormal books. 

 

Review: The Guests on South Battery by Karen White

The Guests on South Battery (Tradd Street Book #5)
by Karen White
Release Date: January 10th 2017
2017 Berkley
Kindle Edition; 352 Pages
ISBN: 978-0451475237
ASIN: B01E4WAFW2
Genre: Fiction / Paranormal
Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
With her extended maternity leave at its end, Melanie Trenholm is less than thrilled to leave her new husband and beautiful twins to return to work, especially when she’s awoken by a phone call with no voice on the other end—and the uneasy feeling that the ghostly apparitions that have stayed silent for more than a year are about to invade her life once more.

But her return to the realty office goes better than she could have hoped, with a new client eager to sell the home she recently inherited on South Battery. Most would treasure living in one of the grandest old homes in the famous historic district of Charleston, but Jayne Smith would rather sell hers as soon as possible, guaranteeing Melanie a quick commission.

Despite her stroke of luck, Melanie can’t deny that spirits—both malevolent and benign—have started to show themselves to her again. One is shrouded from sight, but appears whenever Jayne is near. Another arrives when an old cistern is discovered in Melanie’s backyard on Tradd Street.

Melanie knows nothing good can come from unearthing the past. But some secrets refuse to stay buried....

My Thoughts
The Guests on South Battery continues Jack and Melanie's story as they continue to restore their house in the famous historic district of Charleston.  One of the things I do recommend however, is that you read the other books in the series, even if the mysteries themselves are stand alones, to understand the dynamic between Jack and Melanie and the other characters in the series.  

First of all, I love Melanie as a main character even if I want to hug her and then strangle her, all within the space of minutes.  Melanie can see spirits and communicate with them and the fact she has decided to keep the historic home she has inherited is a continuing surprise to her, especially after having encountered the ghosts in her home and having vanquished the more malevolent ones.  The continuing dialogue she has with her best friend, who is also restoring her home, is quite funny and I enjoy both the verbal and mental dialogue that goes with the explanations.  Melanie borders on severe OCD and I don't know how Jack can deal with her at times as I found myself rolling my eyes quite often as she was dealing with her twins.  Anyone who has children knows that children do not go to the bathroom on schedule, and will, in fact, be the cause of more than one delayed outing due to a messy diaper.  Been there more than once!  Watching Melanie relax throughout the novel because of the entry of a more relaxed nanny was a great pleasure.  And I loved how Melanie's friends dealt with her obsessiveness, not quite confronting it, but not ignoring it either and coming up other ways of dealing with the problem.  It created some quite funny scenes that any woman could relate to and appreciate.  However, that being said, these same friends could sometimes be a bit controlling and kind of ran roughshod over Melanie a few times; now that she is married and a mother she can no longer make her own decisions and control her own life?  While Melanie could be annoying at times, I did appreciate it as a way of taking back control over her own situation, although I would have liked to have seen the old, strong Melanie back again.  And what is it with the scenes with Jack just kissing her and she forgets anything she was discussing and just accepts things as they are?  Really?  Do we have to go down that road?  I'm sure there are other ways of showing how attracted Melanie is to Jack without showing that she has no brain cells left in her head?

What I especially liked in this novel was the focus on family and dealing with issues rather than on the paranormal.  Oh, the paranormal was there, but it played more of a secondary role and I kind of liked that as so many of the issues in this one were not paranormal based.  There was a mystery, but it was sad and easy to figure out if you paid attention.  I was much more interested in the relationships, and that was easy to figure out too, it just took me a little while to figure out how and why.  But everything connected.  And if none of this makes sense, read the book because I would be spoiling it if I mentioned everything that was going on.  I definitely liked how the author handled the ghost situation as it was a bit tragic and sad and opened up a just a little can on mental health issues.  The entire mystery was a bit predictable and not up to the usual standards, but I still liked it, even if I'm not sure of the reasons behind it.  

Verdict
The Guests on South Battery is a good entry into the series, but it is not my favourite one.  Although I love Melanie as a main character, I did find her to be somewhat annoying and obsessive in this one, not as strong as usual, controlled by those around her.  And even if I didn't quite agree with her decisions towards the end, I was glad to see her take control of her life again, to be the woman she was before she married and had kids.  I enjoyed the writing in this novel as always, but I did feel the mystery was a bit weak and predictable. I did love how the next book in this series was kind of interwoven into this book, and I am looking forward to the next entry.

Review: Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis (Vampire Chronicles, Book #12)
by Anne Rice
Release Date: November 29th 2016
2016 Knopf
Ebook Edition; 496 Pages
ISBN: 978-0385353793
ASIN: B01IZT8OTG
Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal
Source: Review copy from publisher

2.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
At the novel's center: the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, hero, leader, inspirer, irresistible force, irrepressible spirit, battling (and ultimately reconciling with) a strange otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of Lestat's undead body and soul. This ancient and mysterious power and unearthly spirit of vampire lore has all the force, history, and insidious reach of the unknowable Universe.

It is through this spirit, previously considered benign for thousands of vampire years and throughout the Vampire Chronicles, that we come to be told the hypnotic tale of a great sea power of ancient times; a mysterious heaven on earth situated on a boundless continent--and of how and why, and in what manner and with what far-reaching purpose, this force came to build and rule the great legendary empire of centuries ago that thrived in the Atlantic Ocean.

And as we learn of the mighty, far-reaching powers and perfections of this lost kingdom of Atalantaya, the lost realms of Atlantis, we come to understand its secrets, and how and why the vampire Lestat, indeed all the vampires, must reckon so many millennia later with the terrifying force of this ageless, all-powerful Atalantaya spirit.

My Thoughts
I have always been a huge fan of the Vampire Chronicles, particularly the earlier books, as I love the atmosphere, the excitement, and the unpredictability of the events of those books.  While I have continued to faithfully follow the series, I have found that a lot of the excitement has sort of disappeared into this kind of settled atmosphere where events are rather more predictable and shall I say it, rather boring.  Bringing other elements into the stories hasn't really helped as I prefer the vampire stories and want to learn more about their lives and their evil-doings.  I'm afraid to say that this one stretched things a bit too far for me; there is only so far one can suspend one's sense of belief before going, 'Enough already!'

First of all, it wasn't the introduction of the alien element that bothered me as I found that rather interesting, and I was curious as to what Ms. Rice would do with that thread.  And it opened up a series of possibilities for future books, but I still craved the vampire element that she became known for in her books, something that was hinted at, at times, but didn't fully develop.  Lestat will always be one of my favourites, as well as Louis and Marius, but I felt like Marius had changed so much that I almost didn't recognize him.  As for Gabrielle, well, she will always be Gabrielle.  It was nice to see so many of the beloved vampires in one book, but there was such a brief glimpse of them as the story revolved around Lestat and his fight against the strictures placed upon him as prince.  I was looking forward to him breaking a rule or two just to see what would happen as in the old days, but I was left disappointed in that as well.  When did he develop such a mature angle to his personality?  Where is the old devil who tested the boundaries and found against the rules?  I miss him.

The angle of the aliens was kind of interesting, and I liked the story that developed, but I just couldn't believe in the description of Atalantya and that's where things took a total downturn for me.  I could accept an Atalantya that was over 12 000 years old, but I just couldn't accept one that had technology similar to our modern era, and I couldn't buy into it.  I'm glad to see that the author decided to do something a bit different, and I definitely liked the philosophical and spiritual themes running through the novel, but I wonder if she could have done things a bit differently.  I'm not against the science-fiction vibe running through this novel as everything connects to Amel, but I just feel like so much of the mysterious vampire world had been lost because of it.  And it was that world that was interesting.

Verdict
Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis is one of those books over which I have very mixed feelings and I am not sure if I will actually continue reading this series.  I liked reading these books because the relationships between the vampires were so engrossing and compelling, and the atmosphere just drew you in, whether you wanted it or not.  Overall, the book wasn't a complete disaster, and if you are starting with this one, you might feel a bit differently, but the engaging interactions between the characters, the atmospheric tensions, the unpredictability were all missing and these are the elements we have come to expect from a good vampire novel from this author.     

Review: The Visitor by Amanda Stevens

The Visitor (Graveyard Queen, Book #4)
by Amanda Stevens
Release Date: March 29th 2016
2016 MIRA
Ebook Edition; 384 Pages
ISBN: 978-0778315179
ASIN: B0166B9IAE
Genre: Fiction / Paranormal
Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary
Restoring lost and abandoned cemeteries is my profession, but I'm starting to believe that my true calling is deciphering the riddles of the dead. Legend has it that Kroll Cemetery is a puzzle no one has ever been able to solve. For over half a century, the answer has remained hidden within the strange headstone inscriptions and intricate engravings. Because uncovering the mystery of that tiny, remote graveyard may come at a terrible price.

Years after their mass death, Ezra Kroll's disciples lie unquiet, their tormented souls trapped within the walls of Kroll Cemetery, waiting to be released by someone strong and clever enough to solve the puzzle. For whatever reason, I'm being summoned to that graveyard by both the living and the dead. Every lead I follow, every clue I unravel brings me closer to an unlikely killer and to a destiny that will threaten my sanity and a future with my love, John Devlin.

My Thoughts
The Visitor is the fourth book in the Graveyard Queen series, and while I absolutely loved the previous entries in the series, I wasn't as crazy about this entry.  I felt like the story line veered quite a bit from the original as Amelia's abilities became stronger, but at the same time, more mysterious. 

First of all, one of the things I really liked about the previous entries was Amelia's profession, a restorer of abandoned cemeteries, and I especially liked some of the creepy things that happened in said cemeteries, and some of the things we learned about cemeteries.  I love cemeteries myself and have spent many an hour happily lost in them when I was younger, so I can understand Amelia's obsession with them.  While Amelia spent some time at her business, and was given the prospect of possibly restoring an old cemetery, nothing really came of it other than a few creepy visits, but it was just part of the story line.  

Amelia did learn quite a bit more about her family background in this one, and some of the things that appeared in previous novels were also explained as well.  While it is not necessary to have read the previous novels in order to understand this book, it certainly would be helpful as the author doesn't explain previous events, assuming you are already familiar with them.  It certainly seems like there are a lot of family secrets in her family, and they also get more and more complex the more she learned.  I actually thought this was quite interesting, but at the same time, this is where the novel kind of went in a different direction from what I was expecting, and I'm not sure what I think about that.  While the paranormal definitely played a key role in previous novels, in this one it played the major role and I just felt like something got lost in all of the paranormal stuff, including Devlin and Amelia's relationship, which seemed off right from the beginning.  There were also a lot of secrets being kept from Amelia on Devlin's part as he dealt with his grandfather and some of his family issues, but sometimes all of this keeping of secrets can work against an author if there is just too much.  In this case, I really felt like the characters and their development were shuffled to the background and I was extremely disappointment in that area of the novel.  After three books, and many dramatic episodes, you'd think more credit would be given to Devlin for what he'd seen and heard.  And Amelia was a bit annoying in this one as well; get over whining about everything and deal with issues.  To be fair, this Amelia seemed different than the one we saw in the previous novels, and she dealt with situations a bit differently, almost as if she needed to be rescued.  

Verdict
The Visitor is one of those novels that I couldn't wait to read, but was a bit disappointed when I finally did get my hands on it.  While there were some genuinely interesting and creepy moments, I had to suspend my disbelief way too often; the novel took a turn in the paranormal I'm not really sure I'm crazy over as I liked the way it was in previous novels.  I really wanted there to be more "story" to the story as I felt like it was just a set-up for the next book in the series rather than a story on its own.  As for whether I read the next book in this series, we'll see as I'm not sure.  

Review: The Spirit Chaser by Kat Mayor

The Spirit Chaser (Book One)
by Kat Mayor
Release Date: November 13th 2015
2015 Kat Mayor
Ebook Edition; 442 Pages
ISBN: 1517161479
ASIN: B01845NL8K
Genre: Fiction / Paranormal
Source: Review copy from Bewitching Book Tours

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
Some places are too evil. Some places should be left alone.

Austin Cole has it made. Star of the hit television show Spirit Chaser Investigations, he has become the world’s most famous paranormal investigator. Although hard work, a talented investigation team, and favorable genetics have something to do with it, it’s his lack of fear and willingness to take risks no one else will that make Spirit Chaser Investigations cable’s number-one show. When a ghost-hunt-gone-wrong seriously injures his best friend and lead psychic, Austin is forced to find a replacement for a team member he considers irreplaceable.

Casey Lawson can’t catch a break. She’s been on her own since she turned eighteen and is scraping by as a part-time psychic and cashier at a New Age store. When a desperate Austin Cole calls her up and offers her a position on his team, has her fortune finally changed?

He’s a control freak; she’s stubborn and opinionated. It takes time, but when they finally realize they’re working on the same side, everything clicks, both on and off screen. 

Just when things are looking up, a new threat emerges. Over the years, Austin has angered plenty of demons, and one of them has set her sights on him. Now he’s the one in danger, and it’s up to the team to rescue him from the riskiest investigation of their lives.

My Thoughts
The Spirit Chaser seemed like the ideal book for me because I am a huge fan of ghosts, old houses, ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, psychics, and horror.  And with Austin Cole as the leading man, he seemed too good to be true; a natural leader, a hard worker, charismatic, charming, a risk-taker, a team player, and quite successful as the manager of Spirit Chaser Investigations, a hit television show that features psychic investigations into haunted places.  And he was too good to be true. While I sort of enjoyed his character in the beginning, he quickly because overbearing and annoying, the main reason I gave the novel the rating that I did.

First of all, I did enjoy the story line and most of the other characters. I was quickly caught up in the events surrounding Barrett's attack and the reasons he pulled himself as lead psychic investigator from the show.  I enjoyed the way the author developed the story and the setting, giving us pieces of the story bit by bit so we could figure out what actually happened to Barrett that night.  When Casey took over Barrett's position, she had no idea what was in store for her and what kind of mess she had walked in on as the events the night of Barrett's attack were far from over, leaving her in the crossfire. I thought the investigations into some of the other houses and situations were interesting and I liked Casey's interactions with the ghosts and other paranormal creatures.  I have always been a sucker for this kind of thing so I just soaked it right up.  The author definitely knows how to create an atmosphere, that's for sure.

I also liked many of the secondary characters, especially Josie and Casey's dad.  It would be nice to learn more about them and their stories, and since this is book one, I am hoping more of the characters will be fleshed out in future books.  I really liked Casey, even if I wanted to shake her at times, as I liked her spunk and her fortitude to deal with anything that came her way.  She definitely has a tough personality and is not a quitter.  I liked how she fought for herself and her beliefs even against someone as stubborn as Austin, and really wished she had not fallen for him.  Which leads me to Austin.  While I sort of liked his character in the beginning, it actually didn't take long for him to end up on my list of characters that I don't like very much.  While I found him to be driven and charismatic, he was also stubborn, pushy, and downright rude.  And sorry about this, but I really need to mention it, but to not know the needs of your partner during sex is a bit unforgivable.  To have to do research and book an appointment with a medical doctor seems a bit excessive to me, especially given the situation, when I Austin really didn't try very hard to think about Casey's needs and desires and was only thinking about himself.  I was actually shaking my head during those scenes because it made him seem selfish.  Let's just say I was not impressed. And also, I'm not really sure what kind of message the author was trying to get across with these scenes. Was she trying to show that some women need help with sexual relations? This is definitely a good theme, but it didn't work here.   Because if that was the case, I think the wrong message was being sent out and the only message I got was that Austin was insensitive.

I also couldn't buy into the whole demon thing halfway into the book with Austin simply because of the timing.  This part might actually contain some spoilers, but I don't know how to write this without them.  To go for so many months without any signs or indications, then for him to suddenly turn The Exorcist on everyone seemed really weird and I didn't quite buy it.  I would have preferred for there to be a slow change of personality, not what we saw.   

Verdict
The Spirit Chaser was an enjoyable novel overall, even if I didn't care overly much for one of the main characters.  I did enjoy the plot and thought the rest of the characters were quite interesting, although I would have loved to learn more about them.  I really think there are a lot of fascinating stories that could be told, especially from different points of view.  I thought the ending was perfect, if not what I was expecting, but I was glad it played out the way it did.  I'm interested in knowing where the author is going to take this series next and I will definitely read the next book when it comes out.  For those of you interested in the paranormal, it's worth taking a look. 

Author Information

Kat Mayor is a native Texan, wife, and mom. In addition to The Spirit Chaser, she has written a young adult series, The Circle. She’s a full-time reader, part-time writer, and when she’s not kicking a story around in her head, she loves to read and review books on Goodreads.

https://twitter.com/montemayorkat

https://www.facebook.com/montemayorkathleen1/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7222680.K_M_Montemayor

 

Review: Remembrance by Meg Cabot

Remembrance (The Mediator, Book #7)
by Meg Cabot
Release Date: February 2nd 2016
2016 William Morrow
ARC Edition; 400 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-237902-3
ASIN: B00XHRR3EE
Genre: Fiction / Paranormal
Source: Review copy from TLC Book Tours

4 / 5 Stars

Summary
You can take the boy out of the darkness.

But you can’t take the darkness out of the boy.

All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva).

But when she’s hired as a guidance counselor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn’t all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn’t only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.

From a sophomore haunted by the murderous specter of a child, to ghosts of a very different kind—including Paul Slater, Suze’s ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is certain must have come from the Devil himself—Suze isn’t sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone to her wedding night.

Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past—including one she found nearly impossible to resist—strike first?

What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you?

If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.

My Thoughts
Remembrance is the first adult version of the Mediator series and I was thrilled to discover that Suze and Jesse's story would be continuing; it was one of those series I thought about over the years and often wondered what it would be like for these two when they are adults.  

As adults, our mediators are now dealing with post-graduate work (Jesse is a medical resident and Suze is completing her post-secondary studies to become a counselor). They are also dealing with the usual complications that arise as adults: work, loans, money, wedding issues.  And to top it all off, Suze gets attacked by a child ghost during a routine guidance session.  Since the mediator stuff was something I really enjoyed in the original series, I was glad to know that a lot of the book would have Suze facing off against vengeful little spirits, although the result wasn't quite what I expected.  It was refreshing, and familiar, to know that Suze hadn't changed a whole lot when dealing with the spirits / ghosts; she was her usual brash and feisty self I remembered from the original series.  I would have been extremely disappointed otherwise.  

It was definitely nice to revisit characters and to see what they were all doing as adults, although I could have done without Paul Slater.  He was still as despicable as ever, but I did have to laugh over some of his antics as a grown up, albeit a much more powerful one now that he has all that money and sway in town.  I liked seeing what Suze's brothers were up to and was a bit disappointed that they didn't have more of a role to play in this one; they are much more interesting as grown-ups and I would love to learn more about them.  The author did hint a bit about their abilities so it would be interesting to see exactly what they could do, especially working together with Suze and Jesse.  And while I love Jesse, and always will, he was a bit annoying at times in this one.  While I get that he had been dead for over a century and a half, his over-protectiveness got cloying and I could have done with a bit less macho behaviour.  Other than that, he was perfect, the same sweet, kind, and considerate person, and the scene with Paul Slater (sorry, spoiler) was great.  

I thought the plot was interesting, but it was one of the weaker points in the this novel.  While I truly enjoyed Becca's plight and the situation with the little ghost, Lucia, I did think the novel was more about Jesse and Suze's relationship issues, and lack of sex, at least on Suze's part, than about the ghost issues.  And while that was fine, it did have a tendency to drag on a bit and I just wanted to get on with the story and find out what was going on with our friendly / unfriendly little ghost.  While I also understood the author's 'need' perhaps to find closure with Paul, I did find the whole situation, the dinner and 'dessert', to be a bit over the top. Really? I'm sure there could have been another way to solve the problem with Suze's house rather than introducing the whole blackmailing plot point.  While it may not bother other people, it didn't set well with me.  

Verdict
Remembrance is a good addition to the Mediator series; it was great to see all of my favourite characters return as adults and to learn about them as adults.  That being said, while I would definitely recommend the earlier novels to my thirteen-year-old daughter, I would not recommend this one to her due to the many, many sexual innuendos that are in here; this is about a grown up Suze and her wants and needs as a woman who is definitely not a teenager anymore.   I enjoyed this book quite a bit and am quite glad that Ms. Cabot is continuing the series as it was one of my favourites (I can't believe it's been almost sixteen years since I've read the first one.)  There is so much potential with these characters, and so many interesting things going on, that I truly hope the author will continue Suze and Jesse's story. 

Review: Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

Prince Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, Book #11)
by Anne Rice
Release Date: October 28th, 2014
2014 Knopf Publishing Group
Hardcover Edition; 458 Pages
ISBN: 978-0307962522
ASIN: B00J6YA1V4
Genre: Fiction / Paranormal
Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
The novel opens with the vampire world in crisis...vampires have been proliferating out of control; burnings have commenced all over the world, huge massacres similar to those carried out by Akasha in The Queen of the Damned... Old vampires, roused from slumber in the earth are doing the bidding of a Voice commanding that they indiscriminately burn vampire-mavericks in cities from Paris and Mumbai to Hong Kong, Kyoto, and San Francisco. As the novel moves from present-day New York and the West Coast to ancient Egypt, fourth century Carthage, 14th-century Rome, the Venice of the Renaissance, the worlds and beings of all the Vampire Chronicles—Louis de Pointe du Lac; the eternally young Armand, whose face is that of a Boticelli angel; Mekare and Maharet, Pandora and Flavius; David Talbot, vampire and ultimate fixer from the secret Talamasca; and Marius, the true Child of the Millennia; along with all the other new seductive, supernatural creatures—come together in this large, luxuriant, fiercely ambitious novel to ultimately rise up and seek out who—or what—the Voice is, and to discover the secret of what it desires and why...

And, at the book's center, the seemingly absent, curiously missing hero-wanderer, the dazzling, dangerous rebel-outlaw—the great hope of the Undead, the dazzling Prince Lestat...

My Thoughts
Prince Lestat is one of those books I would have read no matter what I heard about it in various chat rooms or other social media sites.  Are there series you just keep reading, just because you read the first few novels at an influential time period in your life, and now you just have to keep reading the rest just because you have to?  The Raymond E. Feist novels were like that for me, and now, so are The Vampire Chronicles.  And while I enjoyed it to a certain extent, there were parts of it that did drag on, and I had to force my way through them and keep going.

Visiting old friends has always been a treat in these novels and I used to wait breathlessly for a visit from any one of these vampires in any one of these novels: Louis, Marius, Pandora, David, Mekare and Maharet, Armand, Jesse, and of course, Lestat.  As always, I enjoyed the background stories of many of the newer characters, how they became vampires, and how they survived the millenia, but these stories overshadowed the older characters and I was kind of disappointed by that.  The usual secondary characters pretty much fell into the background and really didn't have much to add to this story; in fact, were not their usual aggressive and powerful selves. For example, I would have liked to have known Eleni's story as much as Gregory's or any of the others, but she just kind of fell into the background.  I just felt like many of the characters were not fleshed out or developed and were just used as background material for the real purpose, trying to justify why Lestat should become their leader, their Prince, another concept which really made no sense to me at all.  The fact that all of these so-called powerful vampires would just bow down to Lestat and make him their leader, with little argument as to why this should be the case, bothered me quite a bit.  The whole case about how much he is 'loved' and how much he is 'known' around the world began to wear thin after a while. This is where the book slowed down and kind of dragged its feet for me; I would have preferred to read the background stories about the newer characters than read the arguments as to why Lestat should be Prince or about who the Voice is and is he evil.  Seriously!!

I did like the attempt to try and connect the supernatural world with the scientific world, but in that it too fell flat, simply because it went too far.  I know you have to suspend belief when reading these novels, but there is a point when things stretch a little too far and I just wish it hadn't really gone down that road (spoiler alert here).  Don't get me wrong, as I did find the chapters quite interesting, and I really enjoyed the characters of Seth and Fareed, but I just wish that the science had been used a bit differently, that's all.  There are just so many fascinating paths in science to explore with regards to vampirism and Rice definitely used the more fantastical of the paths, that's all.   

Verdict
Prince Lestat is not one of those novels that will bring new fans to The Vampire Chronicles, especially if they start with this novel, which I don't think will make sense to readers; it's not a series that I would recommend reading out of order.  This novel will not bring any real revelations to the vampire world, other than maybe revealing the origins of the Talamasca, and the ending was quite predictable.  I did think it started off rather strongly and I did enjoy quite a few parts, especially the stories about some of the new characters and their origins; it was definitely good to run into Magnus as well (spoiler).  Like I mentioned before, it is rather difficult for me to stay away from these books, so I will probably read the next book in this series, Blood Paradise, when it is released.  As always, I am fascinated by these creatures, but I would definitely like to see more of the favourites in the next book, strong, powerful, aggressive, and not as bystanders. 

Review: Waking the Dead by Heather Graham

Waking the Dead (Cafferty and Quinn, Book #2)
by Heather Graham
Release Date: March 25th, 2014
2014 Harlequin MIRA
Hardcover Edition; 336 Pages
ISBN: 978-0778316122
ASIN: B00GPDYNJA
Genre: Fiction / Paranormal
Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

They say a painting can have a life of its own…

In the case of Ghosts in the Mind by Henry Sebastian Hubert, that's more than just an expression. This painting is reputed to come to life—and to bring death. The artist was a friend of Lord Byron and Mary Shelley, joining them in Switzerland during 1816, "the year without a summer." That was when they all explored themes of horror and depravity in their art….

Now, almost two hundred years later, the painting appears in New Orleans. Wherever it goes, death seems to follow.

My Thoughts
Waking the Dead is the second book in the Cafferty and Quinn series.  I typically love Heather Graham novels as I can always count on this author to follow a fairly formulaic pattern with rather interesting characters, an interesting setting, and an intriguing storyline, none of which requires a lot of thought on my part to decipher, but which is fun easy to read.  While I enjoyed Waking the Dead, I found parts of it to be a bit slow as the plot floundered and I had to make myself continue reading in order to get to the parts I knew would be more interesting.

What I always enjoy about Heather Graham's books are the characters and the various personalities.  While the author doesn't delve too deeply into their character traits, I manage to somehow always find a connection with most of the characters and enjoy them tremendously.   Danni is one of those people who I would like to get to know personally as she always seems to calm and together, doesn't fly off the handle when she sees something paranormal, and tends to listen to her intuitive side, even if it's rather instinctive rather than knowing.  Quinn, on the other hand, typical of a Graham male, is the protector type, with an element of sensitivity, but as down-to-earth as they come.  Having experienced the paranormal firsthand, he tends to take everything in stride and takes care of those around him.  Sometimes it can be almost cloying, although the author doesn't let it slide into really annoying mode.  My favourite character is Wolf, the dog who looks after them both.  Any dog named Wolf has got to be something special.

I did have some issues with the plot in this one as I did find it rather slow, as if the author was trying to come up with interesting ideas and things to further the plot, but couldn't decide what she wanted to do.  There were times when I found it slow and the conversation between the characters dragged on and on, trying to fill in the gaps.  What I typically like about her plot lines though, are how she manages to mix romance, suspense, mystery, the paranormal, and hauntings together, without having a choppy or disruptive story line.  In this one, I thought she didn't quite achieve what she set out to do, but it was an interesting story nonetheless, just not up to her usual par.  

Verdict
Waking the Dead was enjoyable, but I felt like the author quite missed the mark when it came to telling the story in this one, that she just didn't achieve what she meant, and it kind of fell flat overall.  As always, I thought the characters were interesting, but even that wasn't enough to cover up the lack of a story line.  I did enjoy some of the historical detailing, like I always do, and the setting definitely had the markings of a good ghost story, but it didn't quite work, and it really wasn't that spooky.  However, having read pretty much everything there is by Heather Graham, this definitely won't stop me from reading another as her books are easy to read and they can be quite fun.  

Review: The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

The Kingdom (Graveyard Queen, Book #2)

by Amanda Stevens
Release Date: March 27th, 2012
2012 Mira Books
Softcover ARC: 400 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-778-31277-2
Genre: Fiction / Paranormal
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary
Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town...

My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I’ve been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I’m coming to think I have another purpose here.

Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I’ve discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.

My Thoughts
The Kingdom is the second book the Graveyard Queen series and as far as sequels go, it was just as enjoyable as the first.  A huge fan of cemeteries myself, I had no problem sinking my teeth into Amelia's world, soaking in the Gothic-like atmosphere of Asher Falls, where Amelia is asked to do a restoration of Thorngate Cemetery, and discovers that the town holds just as many mysteries and secrets locked in its heart as the cemetery, some of them dangerous.   


One of the events that caught me off guard right away was Amelia's discovery, and subsequent adoption, of a local stray she named Angus.  I was somewhat disappointed in this storyline however, as it didn't really seem to go anywhere and while Amelia kept Angus, his plight was never fully developed or explored in a way that it could have been or possibly should have.  Dog-baiting/fighting is a topic that tends to float around the background quite a bit, and is a huge issue, but I felt like the storyline just petered out.  


Ms. Stevens manages to evoke a sense of eeriness and mystique even during bright sunny days.  Her writing is evocative and can be downright creepy at times, and the descriptions of the cemetery, the mausoleum, the mansion, the forest, and other places certainly add to that sense of chill that seems to follow Amelia around wherever she goes.  I love it when an author can send a chill down your back with a simple description or a few simple words and this novel definitely carries a sense of foreboding all the way through it.  Despite this atmosphere, and despite Amelia's gift, some of the events were somewhat far-fetched and I had trouble believing in them completely as going by one's senses or one's feelings can only carry along a novel so far before a reader is looking for some explanations, explanations that were not fully given.  While I like that Amelia discovered more about her family history, and about her adoption, there were some things that I was not convinced had closure and could comfortably close in a box as being resolved.  I have 'feelings' all of the time too, but you don't see me running into the forest in the middle of the night because of them.  No way!! I've watched those movies where the girl goes out looking for the creepy thing and look what always happens to her.

I will have to admit that the one big disappointment for me in this novel was the absence of John Devlin.  I have grown very fond of him, and even with Amelia's new love interest in the sexy Thane Asher, I admit I am still a Devlin fan, ghosts and all.  The end of The Kingdom made me very happy and I am very curious as to how everything will resolve itself in book three.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Thane's character and his personality and I liked how conflicted he was, but deep, dark, and brooding?  What can I say?  Yummy!  


Verdict
The Kingdom was a satisfying sequel to the The Restorer and again, I enjoyed the gothic feeling to this novel.  The descriptions were creepy and carried that sense of foreboding that works so well for a fiction novel with supernatural elements, and the characters were intriguing and individual, even though there were some that I would have liked to have seen more development as they were interesting, such as Tilly and Sidra.  I am looking forward to reading the third novel in this series, The Prophet, which is already sitting in my to-be-read pile, to be released April 24th, 2012.