Dark Spirits, by Stephen Lancaster

Dark Spirits: A Man Terrorized by the Supernatural by Stephen Lancaster

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I am fascinated by the paranormal. So when I saw this book available on NetGalley, I was excited.

Unfortunately, while the writer's experiences were interesting, the writing was too wordy for me. And repetitive. And wordy. It took me a long time to get through. I ultimately ended up skimming through each chapter/story, because the author took so long to get to the point! He would write one thing, and then a few sentences later say the same thing, a little bit differently. Then go on to describe something else, before finally getting to the point that there was a great big shadow creature growling at them from the rafters!

All in all, I liked the stories, once I could get to the heart of the matter and past all the rambling by the author. This author has obviously experienced some interesting things, but perhaps needs the help of a, haha, ghostwriter. Part of what makes ghost stories interesting is the art of storytelling, the set up, and then that little bit of tension, waiting to see what happens next. In this book, what happened next came so long after the set up, that it didn't feel as eerie or nerve-wracking as it should have.

I don't think I will be searching out any other works by this author in the future.

*I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



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Die Die Birdie, by J.R. Ripley

Die, Die Birdie by J.R. Ripley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First in a series.

Die Die Birdie was a good start to a new series as Amy Simms gets ready for the grand opening of her new store for bird lovers and bee enthusiasts in her newly renovated old Victorian house. Then, she stumbles over a dead body and is found by her nosy tenant holding the bloody murder weapon.

Enter the former high school boyfriend, now local chief of police, and Amy's got bigger problems on her mind than potential profits. Especially since things didn't end well in high school and, predictably, the Chief holds a grudge.

Die Die Birdie was full of eccentric and fun sidekicks and small town folks. The story moved at a decent pace, with a few twists and turns that I enjoyed. And the slight cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read the next book to see what becomes of Amy and Birds and Bees.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



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Midsummer Night's Mischief, by Jennifer David Hesse

Midsummer Night's Mischief by Jennifer David Hesse

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


First in a series.

This one took me a bit to get into and I found the prologue super repetitive. The whole "the intruder" this, "the intruder" that annoyed me. We get that the person being described is an intruder, you don't have to tell us every other sentence.

The main character, Keli, kind of starts off wimpy. She's unhappy as the Solstice approaches this year, (and her 30th birthday), longing for a man and unable to let anyone find out she's a Wiccan, including her family. Frankly, she annoyed me for the first several chapters.

But after the first few chapters things smoothed out a bit and I began to settle in to the story. It had a few twists and turns, but the prologue was a bit of a spoiler, since it made the intruder and thief out to be someone who knew the house, knew the deceased had the First Folio. That limited the real suspect pool.

All in all, I liked the book well enough to look for the second installment.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



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Address to Die For, by Mary Feliz

Address to Die For by Mary Feliz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 1 in a series. E-book format only.

I really enjoyed this story of a professional organizer moving with her family to a very unorganized, dilapidated old house, instead of the turnkey property they expected. Now they're faced with obvious vandalism, and even worse, a dead body in the basement.

I liked Maggie and her boys, though I felt like I didn't get to know Max very well because he was sent off to India for his new job almost immediately, leaving Maggie to deal with the kids, the moving in, the delays to moving in, the vandalism and eventually, the murders. That said, Maggie comes off a strong, capable woman who doesn't need to rely on others (and in fact might have a little trouble doing that) and she does just fine while Max is away.

It was fun meeting the locals (Silicon Valley, CA, they've got to be a bit eccentric, right?) and watching Maggie try to figure things out, despite being the newcomer who doesn't quite fit in yet. The vandalism did get a wee bit gory a few times, but over all, not too bad.

The who-dunnit came as a bit of a surprise (I was heading down the right road). I am certainly looking forward to seeing more of the family McDonald.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Murder at Lambswool Farm, by Sally Goldenbaum

Murder at Lambswool Farm by Sally Goldenbaum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 11 in the series.

Another fun outing with the knitters of Sea Harbor. Birdie has restored her beloved husband's family farm and is offering harvest dinners catered by local chefs. As a test of sorts, Birdie invites all her friends, family and a stray stranger to participate in the first meal. During the meal a friend and neighbor gets ill and is rushed off to hospital, where he dies.

The whole stranger aspect was transparent. I knew what Glenn was hiding from the very beginning, but I also knew he couldn't have been the murderer ('cause too obvious and how would he have access to the good doctor's food on a regular basis?).

The rest of the story kept me guessing and even though I did figure it out before the end, it was an enjoyable, light and fast read. I enjoy the main characters and their stories and will continue to drop by Sea Harbor whenever I get the opportunity.

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The Cracked Spine, by Paige Shelton

The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I tried two versions of this book, an audio version and a hard copy. The audio drove me crazy with the fake Scots accent and pronunciation, I had to stop listening. The hard copy took me some time to get into, but I did end up liking the story.

It was a slow read, and part of that was the over-usage of the Scots dialect. We get it, Delaney's in Scotland, we know they speak with a burr, every word they say doesn't have to reflect that. I know that, really, I don't need you to use "ken" every other sentence, I don't particularly want to spend the entire book translating, ye ken?

I think the other part of my problem was wrapping my head around the utter ease that Delaney got permission to work in a foreign country, and then once there everything just fell into her lap. Getting a work permit is a long, time-consuming process. Asking me to believe she got one in a snap just stretches my belief a wee bit too far, then add in the cottage for rent at a price Delaney can easily afford, and yeah, I was having a hard time suspending my disbelief.

But: all that said, I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the setting and I can't wait to find out more about Delaney's Bookish Voices. I think with a bit more character development, it is a first in the series, after all, that this could be a fun series. I will be reading the second when it comes out.

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Marriage, Monsters-in-Law, and Murder, by Sara Rosett

Marriage, Monsters-in-Law, and Murder by Sara Rosett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Number 9 in A Mom Zone Mystery series.

This is the first book in the series I have read. There's obviously back-story, because the character relationships are well developed. That said, I never felt lost while reading, and I liked this book enough to go out and get book 1, Moving is Murder, so I can start from the beginning!

Weddings, and wedding planning, are crazy enough without dealing with two soon to be mothers-in-law who despise each other. Ellie Avery, a professional organizer and sister-in-law to the bride, is tasked with keeping the moms apart before and during the wedding.

Things start happening right away, as nasty pranks occur, accidents happen and a body turns up. The story is fun, with an interesting mystery and slightly crazy characters.

My only complaint is about the tips stuck at the end of some of the chapters. They're a bit jarring. I think I would rather see them in italics at the start of the chapter, where I know that they're a bonus to the story but not a part of it.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*


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Show Time, by Suzanne M. Trauth

Show Time by Suzanne M. Trauth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First in a series.

Dodie has moved inland after her beloved Jersey Shore was hit by Hurricane Sandy, wiping out her place of employment. She's taken over management of another restaurant and "volunteered" to help with the local theater's production of Romeo and Juliet.

Between planning a "dinner and a show" themed special for her restaurant to help boost sales, (with a romantic theme even though Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy that ends in a double suicide, but that's a whole different review...), and helping with casting for the play, Dodie's got her hands full.

Then a friend is murdered and there are suspects aplenty. The town seems to be full of people that are a little shady, not very nice or just a little eccentric. It was a light, fun read.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Tail & Trouble, by Victor Catano

Tail & Trouble by Victor Catano
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a book that maybe tried to be too many things at once: Paranormal romance, Urban Fantasy and a mystery all in one. All it really ended up being was a light, easy read. Don't get me wrong, it had some fun moments. If a beach read is all you're looking for, I say go for it.

It starts off with Gabriel and his girlfriend's familiar, on a road trip to find the missing witchy girlfriend, Sheila. Sheila's been doing errands for her coven, errands that were making her uncomfortable. And now she's missing.

It had a cute premise, but for me it hit a bit short of the mark and felt a bit formulaic and even the dark bits felt too light and fluffy. Good Guy's gf is missing, GG sets out to find her with no help from her friends, because hey, they're part of the reason she's missing. Good Guy runs up against Very Bad Guy and his psychotic wanna-be girlfriend. Good Guy finds Good Girl and tries to save her, but the rescue goes wrong. This is where the formula stops because *gasp* Good Girl saves herself and everyone else!

The ending actually got me to give the book a 2 star rating, rather than just dismissing it entirely as light and fluffy. Strong female characters still seem to be a rarity in fiction. Of course, Good Girl was a bit loony at the time, but that's ok, we'll give her a pass since she does come to her senses and remain Good and everyone lived happily ever after, except for the Very Bad Guy, 'cause he was dead. The End.

*I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Chaos Choreography, by Seanan McGuire

Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Verity, Dominic and the Aeslin mice are back! Does anyone else feel cheated that we didn't get invited to the Vegas wedding? Waking Up in Vegas (available free on http://www.seananmcguire.com/), stopped just short. Hopefully, there will be a short story about the actual wedding.

But I digress. Verity & Dom have finally made it to Portland and are settling in with the rest of the Price clan when she gets an email. Now Verity is dusting off her Valerie personality again and putting on her dancing shoes to get some personal closure. Instead, she and Dominic end up caught up with another snake cult, and this one is eliminating the competition, and real magic is involved.

I love Verity and Dominic, but I have to admit to being a bit disappointed. I saw the cover and thought it was Verity's little sister, Antimony, with them. Instead, Verity's grandmother has come to back V & D up.

This book had magic and mayhem, dancing and drama and of course the one thing you can always count on Verity for, violence. It was an enjoyable tale, but one that I felt was maybe missing a little something. I can't quite put my finger on what that something was, but it was enough that I walked away feeling a bit let down. And the snake cult do-over? Yeah, enough of that.

Of course, the ending points to a direct confrontation with The Covenant coming soon, so that will be interesting. (But I have one question after reading Waking Up in Vegas and now this book. If Vegas can repel The Covenant, why can't the rest of the big cites now? The American Cryptids know what's coming after all this time, just like the Vegas group did. Plot hole wide enough to drive a U-Haul through!)

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Death at a Fixer-Upper, by Sarah T. Hobart

Death at a Fixer-Upper: A Home Sweet Home Mystery by Sarah T. Hobart

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I found this book to be a bit too quirky. The main character is a new real estate agent, yet she dislikes people and the chitchat that agents really need. That said, I liked Sam and the humor in the book, most of the time.

What I am not sure I liked:
-It started off very slowly, and took me time to get into it.
-Everyone seemed either "quirky" and downright nasty.
-Who starts a relationship with their sister's ex-husband? It seems guaranteed to get messy. And Sam's ex showing up out of the blue seemed way too convenient.
-This is the first in a series, but in some places it feels like we are missing information that we should have had. Was something cut out for space?*
-Sam often feels a little over the top. For example, the whole license plate deal, while typical of any government office, felt like Sam was making a mountain out of a molehill. And sometimes, she really was too stupid to live, and she knew it, too!

*Another reviewer noted that if it feels like we're missing part of the story, it's because we are. If you Google "Sam Turner mysteries," you find out that there are two previous stories featuring Sam and her real estate adventures under a different author/series name. It looks like the previous books were self-published. That clears up one "mystery" and creates another: Why is this being touted as the first in a series, when it's not?

After thinking about the book and my review for a few days, I've revised my rating back to 2 stars, because it really was just ok, and I don't think I will be seeking out any further books in the series (or going back to read the mysteriously unmentioned first two books about Sam Turner).



*I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*


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