Review: Inheritance

Inheritance by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Like the first book, the second books doesn't disappoints. The story starts off just a couple of months after Calexa Rose Dunhill a.k.a. The Cemetery Girl, helps solve the murder of Marla Vasquez. Calexa and the old woman Lucinda has become good friends, and Lucinda has invited Calexa to move into her spare bedroom. Calexa politely refuses, saying that she couldn't put Lucinda in danger if someone is still after her. Lucinda tells Calexa that she could sleep there at night since it will be getting colder. That night Calexa stays at Lucinda's only to be waken up by a noise. When she enters the kitchen, she see's someone attack Lucinda and goes to help her friend. There isn't much Calexa can do for Lucinda and soon she discovers that Lucinda is gone but has consumed Calexa as she has unfinished business and won't be able to rest until it is resolved.

Once again Calexa is on her own and doesn't know what to do. Lucinda is with her in spirit and she tells Calexa that she needs to get a hold of her attorney. Calexa is afraid to contact him and doesn't know what to do so she turns to her only other friend, the care taker of the cemetery, Mr. Kelner. She meets his son Mason, and tells them both everything that happened. They both agree to help her, protect her anyway they can.

One evening while Calexa and Mason are sitting high up in a tree, watching to see what is going on around Lucinda's house, some street kids are hang around there and one of the kids takes out a syringe and Calexa has a flashback to her own memory, it is a short memory but it is her memory.

She attends Lucinda's funeral from a distance and she over hears Miranda, Lucinda's great-niece talking to the attorney, letting him know that she is not thrilled about someone else inheriting her aunt's house and belongings. Calexa wonders if it was Miranda that killed her friend and starts watching Miranda. Calexa is also shocked to over hear this conversation and to learn Lucinda left everything to her.

This second installment of this graphic novel does not disappoint. It's fast paced, the graphics are colorful and intertwines with the story line. By the end of the book, you wish you had the next installment so you can find out what happens.

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Review: The Pretenders

The Pretenders by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cemetery Girl is a graphic novel. The story starts off with a young girl waking up in the cemetery, she has no recollection of who she is, or how she got there. She takes up sleeping in a crypt, while she figures out who she is and how she got there. She avoids contact with everybody. She gives herself the name Calexa Rose Dunhill, and finds a couple of people that takes pity on her, but does try to avoid them, one is the caretaker, Mr. Kelner and the other person is an old woman named Lucinda. Lucinda will leave out food for Calexa, clothes, blankets, she takes pity on the girl.

One night a young girl, Marla Vasquez is murdered and her ghost finds Calexa. She consumes Calexa's thoughts and shares her memories. Calexa, is confused as to why this ghost is showing her all her memories when she can't even remember who she herself is, and why someone left her for dead. But the ghost needs Calexa to help her to rest in peace, and the only way Marla will be able to do that is if Calexa solves her murder.

After reading Charlaine Harris books for years, I stumbled across this graphic novel of hers and decided to give it a go. I was surprised as to how much I enjoyed reading it. I did find that I was intrigued by Calexa and wanted to know more about her, and how she became known as the "ghost" of the cemetery. The graphics were good and went along with the story line nicely, they were colorful and well thought out. This is a very quick read but so enjoyable.

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Review: Dyeing Wishes

Dyeing Wishes by Molly MacRae
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Star review for Dyeing Wishes. This is the second book in the A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery. The story continues on from where it left off in the first book. Kath Rutledge grandmother Ivy, left her her little knitting shop, and all of Ivy’s friends have become Kath’s new friends. Kath and her TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Fiber) knitters club go and visit their friend Debbie’s farm, where she has just had some baby lambs born, but they are also there to learn how to dye the wool. While they are out looking at the lambs, Kath can’t help but notice there are a lot of sheep huddled around one spot. When Kath takes a closure look, she discovers two dead bodies on Debbie’s land, and Debbie knows them.

Kath has every intention to leave the investigating to the police, namely Deputy Clod Dunbar, who still doesn’t seem nice and is more irritated by Kath and her “posse”, namely the members of TGIF, who encourage Kath to investigate so they can help their friend Debbie. When Deputy Clod gets under Kath’s skin, she gather’s her posse and start investigating on their own, with what they know. With the help of Kath’s ghost friend Geneva, who lives with Kath and will appear and talk to her at the most incontinent times, mainly when Kath is talking to another human.

Most of the characters are believable, but Geneva at times seems to be a little whinny, and almost childlike. Although the author has never said how old she actually is, one is led to believe that she is an adult, and very, very naive. The play between all the characters are starting to develop and you can almost see where the author is taking them. There still room for them all to develop more. I didn’t figure out who could of done the murder until I was almost two-thirds of the way done, but I did figure it out.

In the first book, the author tells you that the grandmother was a witch and that Kath was one also, but the author has elaborated on this any mean. It is mentioned one time in this installment and then nothing more. I don’t know if it will ever be fully explained or if the “Haunted” is going to be Geneva. I’ll have to continue on with the series to find out.

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Review: Night Watch

Night Watch by Iris Johansen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 star review for Iris and Roy Johansen’s new book Night Watch. First off I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

If you have never read an Iris Johansen book, I must encourage you to read one. Ms. Johansen books will grab you by the seat of your pants and draw you into her character’s world. In this book her main character Kendra is one that you will be drawn to, she’s well developed as far as her character, her books are a page turner, fast pace, engaging, full of suspense, thriller, intrigue, heart – pounding, twist and turns, and will have you on the edge of your seat. You’re able to connect with the characters; you are able to feel everything they are feeling, from happiness, to shock, to anxiety. Ms. Johansen has this wonderful ability to keep the story going without losing the reader’s attention from beginning to end.

Kendra spent most of her life blind, but thanks to a revolutionary medical procedure which was developed by the Night Watch Project, she was given her sight. With her being able to see for the first time in her life and fully developed senses that she relied on when she was blind, Kendra has become one of the most sought after investigators from all over.

When Dr. Charles Waldrige, the doctor who is responsible for giving Kendra her eye sight back, comes to visit her, he is troubled. He can’t discuss what is bothering him with Kendra, and soon the doctor has disappeared. Kendra hires Adam Lynch, a government agent, to help her solve this case. Kendra and Adam follow their leads and clues to the mountains of California. They find the body of one of Dr. Waldridge’s associates that has been murder. This only makes Kendra more determine to find her friend, Waldridge.

Along the way, Kendra starts having all these feelings that she can’t control when Adam’s around. Adam has awakened another sense that she had never honed in on before. Although she needs Adam to help her with the investigation they soon discover something isn’t right with the Night Watch Project, which gave Kendra her sight back. Kendra must now uncover what the conspiracy is.


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Review: Murder in the Mystery Suite

Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars. For this being a first in a series, this one was actually really good! The author did a wonderful job on introducing her characters and throwing in a little at a time of their backstory here and there instead of spending most of the book telling it, along with getting to the murder. This is one series that will capture you before you’re done with chapter 3.

After her husband’s unexpected death, pregnant with twins, Jane Steward moves to live with her Aunt Octavia and Uncle Aloysius to the family owned resort, Storyton Hall, set in Virginia. Jane is the manager of this old house and it’s where her twin boys are born and grow up. Fast forward to 6 years later and Jane is still managing the resort, but the place just doesn’t have the guest to help with the up keep of the place, so Jane decides to host a Murder and Mayham weekend where the guest can be any of their favorite murder mystery characters from Miss Marpels, to Hercule Poirots’, to Ian Flemmings’ and a host of others.

Before the guest arrives Jane and the boys go into their quiet, sleepy little town to make some purchases. Jane hears a lot of noises and fears that her rambunctious twins are causing havoc. When she gets to where the commotion is coming from Jane sees a horse running away with its rider and a man on another horse trying to catch the runaway rider and horse. The doctor of the town calls Jane in to see if she might know the young lady and informs her that it appears she died of a heart attack.

Jane returns to Storyton to finish preparing for the guest to arrive. Once the guests arrive, she tells them of their plans of week-long events that they are welcome to enjoy as well as remaining in their characters. That evening, Jane kicks off the event with a Scavenger Hunt and hands each guest with their first clue. The winner is a gentleman who is dressed like Ian Flemmings and is award a book from Aunt Octavia’s collection. A couple of the guest try and buy the book from the winner but he refuses to part with it, then Jane’s twins coming running in the room to get her, Aunt Octavia has taken ill. Jane rushes to her aunt and she tells Jane she has to get the book back, she gave out the wrong one. Jane tries to reassure her aunt that she will do her best to get it back as she’s whisked off to the hospital with Uncle Aloysius right behind her along with Jane. Once at the hospital they find out Aunt Octavia has had a stroke and then tells Jane the family secret, they are the guardians of a secret library. But the secrets don’t stop there.

Jane returns to Storyton and finds the winner Ian Flemmings dead. It appears to be another heart attack victim. Jane gets involved in the investigation as she has a stake in it; she needs to save the reputation of the resort.


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A Charming Vodoo Review, and A Chance At a Prize!

What can I say about A Charming Voodoo by Tonya Kappes, but how fun this book was to read! Back to Whispering Falls we go where the whole town is a buzz for the upcoming All Hallow's Eve Event, and new shops are opening in town. 

June Heal and her husband Police officer, Oscar Parks have return to this magical town after their honeymoon to find their sleepy little, quiet town, town all a buzz with new folks from the neighboring town of Locust Grove.

June hears that her friends Colton and Ophelia have separated and she has closed her shop up. But that's just the beginning. Paddy Potter and his twin brother Porter Potter are running the Pumpkin Patch. When June over hears two different conversations between Porter and someone on the phone and then between him and Ophelia, June figures nothing good will come out of these.  

Later that night Porter Potter is found dead in the pumpkin patch and there is a list of suspects from Colton to Ophelia, to Paddy himself. But in order to help her friends clear them name June jumps in to help solve the murder. 

If you haven't read one of these charming books in this series, I highly recommend you do. This series is a fast, fun entertaining read. The characters seem more like friends to you when you read, and you can't help make make your own comments to them out loud. 

A now for a fun giveaway, answer the question below for you  to win of a free audio book from the Magical Cures Mystery Series audio series picked by Tonya Kappes. Leave a comment so that you're entered


Find the answer on here: http://www.tonyakappes.com/



 

A Charming Vodoo Review, and A Chance At a Prize!

What can I say about A Charming Voodoo by Tonya Kappes, but how fun this book was to read! Back to Whispering Falls we go where the whole town is a buzz for the upcoming All Hallow's Eve Event, and new shops are opening in town. 

June Heal and her husband Police officer, Oscar Parks have return to this magical town after their honeymoon to find their sleepy little, quiet town, town all a buzz with new folks from the neighboring town of Locust Grove.

June hears that her friends Colton and Ophelia have separated and she has closed her shop up. But that's just the beginning. Paddy Potter and his twin brother Porter Potter are running the Pumpkin Patch. When June over hears two different conversations between Porter and someone on the phone and then between him and Ophelia, June figures nothing good will come out of these.  

Later that night Porter Potter is found dead in the pumpkin patch and there is a list of suspects from Colton to Ophelia, to Paddy himself. But in order to help her friends clear them name June jumps in to help solve the murder. 

If you haven't read one of these charming books in this series, I highly recommend you do. This series is a fast, fun entertaining read. The characters seem more like friends to you when you read, and you can't help make make your own comments to them out loud. 

A now for a fun giveaway, answer the question below for you to win a free audio book from the Magical Cures Mystery Series audio series picked by Tonya Kappes. Leave a comment so that you're entered.


Find the answer on here: http://www.tonyakappes.com/