Category: murder mystery

Review:  The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid (The Portlock Paranormal Detective #7) by Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare

Rating: 5✨

Another great story in The Portlock Paranormal Detective series! Bunny and her found family of supernatural characters in this small town in Alaska are getting closer to the end of the series.  And the authors still have plenty of mysteries, drama, and dark cases to unravel before that happens. 

There’s an emotional case of missing teenagers that’s hitting the small town police department of supernaturals hard, especially since it looks like both girls are from the supernatural world. 

Bunny is dealing with the investigation, while Connor is facing his father threatening to come to town.  With all the drama and fear that comes with it. 

And always their friend, mer Sidnee kidnapped boyfriend is on their minds. As well as Reggie, who spends most of his time as Fluffy.

Just amazing with an incredible plot or multiple plots, tons of suspense and the potential for heartbreak. And my fav hag, Matilda’s role is growing.

So hard to wait for that penultimate book to come this winter. Another fantastic book and recommendation.

Cover design by Christian Bentulan. Published by Hellhound Press Limited.

The Portlock Paranormal Detective series:

The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death, a prequel.

The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf, Book 1.

The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren, Book 2.

The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee, Book 3.

The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine, Book 4.

The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergiest, Book 5

The Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas, Book #5.5

The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag #6

The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid #7

The Vampire and the Case of the Ghastly Golem #8 – Jan 29,2026

Buy link

        The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid: An Urban Fantasy Series (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 7)

    

Blurb 

Portlock’s secrets are about to explode.

After everything that went down in Chrome Mine, I’m starting to fear that I may never see my Sidnee again because the Sidnee I’ve been left with – well, she’s downright scary.

Just as we try to catch our breath, calamity strikes again: the mayor’s son-in-law is murdered. Suspicion is being thrown around like confetti, and those in the frame include the mayor himself and the usually mild-mannered Sidnee.

To make matters worse, a couple of teenage girls have vanished – no clues, no witnesses and no explanation. And it appears they might not be the first to be snatched.

As if I needed one more thing to juggle, Connor’s father, the Vampire King of America, sends a team to interfere in our investigation. One of the girls is a rare, born vampire and the king has given us an ultimatum: find her … or he’ll come knocking. I am absolutely not ready to meet the in-laws, especially not the terrifying, homicidal sort who sees hybrids like me as something to exterminate.

Connor is falling apart, the case is slipping through my fingers, and our happily-ever-after is looking further away than ever…

Dive into this fast-paced urban fantasy series if you love mystery, humour, found family, and a slow-burn romance.

Review:  Brimstone Bound (The Firebrand Series Book 1) by Helen Harper 

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I’m a real fan of author Helen Harper and her female main characters. She writes layered fully realized women who often have painful pasts and trauma to work through. And often, whether it’s naturally occurring or something that happens within the story, they become magical, for most of Harper’s series are paranormal or urban fantasy thrillers with some slow burn romance elements. 

Brimstone Bound, the first in the 7-book complete The Firebrand Series by Helen Harper, is a splendid example exactly why I enjoy this author’s style and writing so. 

Emma is a young police officer in the UK just completing the course work to become a Detective when she’s assigned to the Supernatural Squad for her final assignment. 

Emma’s a character who will grow exponentially as each book and story see different challenges and new revelations about her and those characters around her. 

But this is the beginning. Where she dies. And wakes up soon after. And doesn’t understand why. 

There’s mystery. Plenty of world history and building going on. And foundation is laid for her new journey here. 

Each story is about 20 or so chapters, a great length to easily binge which is what I’m doing. 

Highly recommended! Have fun meeting a new character and series!

BOOK COVER DESIGN BY YOCLA DESIGNS

The Firebrand Series 

  • Brimstone Bound
  • Infernal Enchantment
  • Midnight Smoke
  • Scorched Heart
  • Dark Whispers
  • A Killer’s Kiss
  • Fortune’s Ashes

The Wolfbrand Series

  • The Noose Of A New Moon
  • Licence to Howl

Buy link:

        Brimstone Bound (The Firebrand Series Book 1)

Blurb :

A werewolf killer. A paranormal murder. How many times can Emma Bellamy cheat death?

I’m one placement away from becoming a fully fledged London detective. It’s bad enough that my last assignment before I qualify is with Supernatural Squad. But that’s nothing compared to what happens next. 

Brutally murdered by an unknown assailant, I wake up twelve hours later in the morgue – and I’m very much alive. I don’t know how or why it happened. I don’t know who killed me. All I know is that they might try again.

Werewolves are disappearing right, left and centre. 

A mysterious vampire seems intent on following me everywhere I go. 

And I have to solve my own vicious killing. Preferably before death comes for me again.

Brimstone Bound is the first book in the thrilling Firebrand urban fantasy series. If you like dark twisty mysteries, smart heroines, and the faintest touch of slow burn romance, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s mystical whodunnit. 

Ideal for fans of Annabel Chase, K.F. Breene, Shannon Mayer, C.N. Crawford and BR Kingsolver.

“Readers will quickly come to adore the quirky characters, sharp dialogue, and exquisite world building. Combining the urban fantasy stylings of Ilona Andrews with tense British mystery that will put readers in mind of Agatha Christie, this spellbinding series opener promises good things to come.”

  • Publisher: Helen Harper
  • Publication date: September 3, 2020
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 272 pages
  • Book 1 of 7: The Firebrand Series

Review:  Barely Magic (Maddy Madrigal Mysteries Book 1) by Debra Castaneda

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Debra Castaneda is another new to me author I’ve discovered via her Maddy Madrigal Mysteries series.  Based in the Chavez Ravine area of Los Angeles, it’s a location the author has a personal and familial connection with.

As the description suggests, it’s monsters, mayhem, and Mexican food. But it’s much more. It’s about Mexican culture, mythology, and the politics of the past that allows certain ethnic groups to be seen as less important or even less visible so their presence and property can be considered up for grabs. 

It’s scare tactics but the monsters are real. 

Barely Magic (Maddy Madrigal Mysteries Book 1) by Debra Castaneda is a story I feel got better, scenario wise. The character of Maddy Madrigal finds herself back in a home where she and her family have history. Quite by accident, or so it seems. 

As Maddy becomes more assertive about her own personal relationship to the place where she’s living in and working, the character’s growth and story development will continue to work to strengthen the plot and the connection between them. 

By the end I was thoroughly engaged and rooting for the character and her new community of friends. 

I’m really excited to see where this character and series will go. So I’m onto the next in the series. 

It’s a definite hit for me. And a recommendation for those who enjoy strong female characters, mysteries with a cultural element. 

Cover design by: Jacqueline Sweet

Maddy Madrigal Mysteries:

Barely Magic #1

Somewhat Magic #2

Desperate Magic #3

Semi-related:

Chavez Ravine Stories (3 books)

Buy link

        Barely Magic (Maddy Madrigal Mysteries Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Maddy Madrigal doesn’t believe she’s magic. If she were, she wouldn’t be busting her butt every day working for the Los Angeles Police Department’s Occult Affairs division, rounding up the strange and nasty entities unleashed by the last earthquake. At forty, if she were magic, she’d have less aggravation and more money.

So, when a security job opens up in an exclusive gated community, she takes it. Better money, great perks, and best of all, no entities.

At first, her problems are solved—the job’s great, she’s made new friends, and a good-looking man has caught her eye. She even has time to cook her favorite Mexican dishes while her new cat watches, though there’s something not quite right about him.

But the fancy neighborhood she was hired to protect hides a secret: something supernatural is attacking the residents, and as Maddy tries to unravel the mystery, she discovers a secret of her own: she may have inherited magical abilities from her famous great aunt, a Mexican witch.

With monsters roaming the hilly streets, residents up in arms, and her boss breathing down her neck, Maddy must decide how far she’s willing to go to preserve her new life.

Barely Magic is the first book in Maddy Madrigal Mysteries, a new urban fantasy series from Debra Castaneda, the award-winning author of The Monsters of Chavez Ravine and the Dark Earth Rising series including The Root Witch and A Dark and Rising Tide.

  • Publisher: Shadow Canyon Press
  • Publication date: March 20, 2025
  • Language: English
  • File size: 5.3 MB
  • Print length: 328 pages
  • Book 1 of 3: Maddy Madrigal Mysteries

Big Demon Energy (Bedeviled Book 1) by Deborah Wilde

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Deborah Wilde writes such wonderful books and great unusual main female characters that once I found her it’s been hard not to just binge her entire catalog. 

Elements that Wilde includes into her storylines and universes as well as character designs are those of Jewish history, culture, and religious traditions. From the names of the characters to their stories and even the agencies they serve, what it is to be a Jewish person is part of their identity and this book.

And her stories are mostly urban fantasy. So how she continues to fold Jewish mythology, history and religious beliefs and traditions into her urban fantasy worlds and series is smooth, unique, and fascinating. 

Aviva Fleischer is an agent for the Maccabees, a government agency that regulates and deals with otherworldly events and beings. This includes having a team of diverse individuals, including vampires. 

What’s not so inclusive is anyone or being that’s identified as a demon. Or part demon. Which is what Aviva is hiding, she’s part demon. And the daughter of a high ranking official in the Maccabee organization. 

Wilde excellently crafts both an alternative world where vampires and humans now exist, although not exactly in harmony. Otherworldly realms can be visited but it’s a dangerous place to go if you’re a human, and there’s hidden secrets and agendas everywhere waiting to be revealed.

Aviva is a complicated character, with mother issues. An ex-boyfriend who’s come into play again and a murder mystery that’s as complicated as she is.

Just a fabulous story and it lays the groundwork for the next story to come. 

Highly recommended! As is this author. 

Cover by: Covers By Christian.

Bedeviled:

Big Demon Energy #1

Demon on Deck #2

Better the Demon You Know #3

Demon in Disguise #4

The Demon’s Due #5 – Aug 18,2025

Buy link 

        Big Demon Energy: An Enemies-to-Lovers Urban Fantasy (Bedeviled Book 1)

    

Blurb 

She’s just a demon, standing in front of a vampire, trying not to punch him. 

Aviva Fleischer hides a dangerous secret. She’s carefully concealing her infernal heritage, a.k.a. Cherry Bomb. Maybe it’s weird naming her demon side and referring to her in the third person, but guys do the same with their junk, and unlike most of them, Avi isn’t deluded about Cherry’s prowess.

Avi’s been working her ass off, climbing the ranks of a supernatural policing organization to enact change and empower those like her forced to hide their true nature. Sure, she’s bent the rules now and then, but her arrest record speaks for itself. Her promotion is in the bag.

Instead, the director strikes a deal with Avi: spy on the operative sent in to work a rash of bizarre murders and prove she can be a team player, or kiss that new rank goodbye.

No problem.

Okay, maybe just one.

Her co-leader, Ezra Cardoso, is a charming, ruthless vampire with his own agenda, whom she fantasizes about: mostly staking him then vacuuming up his remains.

But when the killer sets Aviva’s team firmly in their sights, she’ll have to decide whether to keep playing by the rules or show everyone exactly what she—and Cherry Bomb—are capable of…

Featuring a smart, funny heroine and a banter-fueled vampire romance, this wickedly addictive urban fantasy will keep you reading way past bedtime.

Dive in now for a fiendishly good time!

  • Publisher: Te Da Media Inc.
  • Publication date: August 21, 2023
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 358 pages
  • Book 1 of 5: Bedeviled

Urban Fantasy, vampire thrillers, humorous fantasy, paranormal suspense 

Review:  Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs

Rating: 4.25⭐️

While exploring other series with strong FMC’s, a reviewer suggested author Patricia Briggs. Specifically her Mercy Thompson series about a Native American skin shifter, auto mechanic Mercy Thompson.

Mercy Thompson series has so many well developed elements and characters. Set in the tri-Cities area of Washington state, Briggs gives the reader the real feel for the geography as well as the various types of societal levels found within the region. From trailers to gated mansions, it’s written about realistically and descriptively well executed. 

Narratively, Briggs gives this same focus to her characters and backgrounds, starting with Mercy Thompson. A auto mechanic who deal primarily with certain types of cars and engines, she’s got a one-woman shop, and as a skin-walker who can change into a coyote, her status, without a pack, within the local paranormal community is a shaky one. 

I was quick to invest in the story and the depths of character and hidden community dynamics . Mercy and her skin walker powers, which I believe more will be revealed in the coming stories, is extremely well written and exciting. 

So is her changing relationships with the local werewolf pack and its Alpha, Adam Hauptman.

There’s a mystery, several murders to solve, and while this book seems to end as everything is resolved, there’s another mystery coming.

So after reading an excellent book, with a fascinating strong female protagonist, with a highly unusual story, why do I not feel the need to scramble for the next novel in the series? Especially in one where there’s 14 available?

It has to do with how one character, a hugely sympathetic young man, was treated within the story. Basically he’s a throwaway element. And yes, that’s absolutely the author’s right. 

But his role here, the reactions to him , the characters and yes, the readers, seem to be at two different levels. How he ended, the characters reacted to his storyline differs greatly from how he impacted on how I felt about him. 

Or perhaps how I perceived his character’s role in the story would be, going forward. That’s on me. 

But this entire aspect of Moon Called felt so cold emotionally that even with a well written book, I felt disconnected from the rest of the universe and characters at the end. 

It’s doubtful that I will go into it further. Might change my mind. But for now. I’m leaving it here. 

if this sounds as intriguing as it’s actually written, check it out.  It’s a very popular series. 

Cover art by Daniel Dos Santos 

Cover design by Judith Lagerman 

Map by Michael Enzweiler

Mercy Thompson (14 book series)

Moon Called #1

Blood Bound #2

Iron Kissed #3

Bone Crossed #4

Silver Bourne #5

River Marked #6

Frost Burned #7

Night Broken #8

Fire Touched #9

Silence Fallen #10

Storm Cursed #11

Smoke Bitten #12

Soul Taken #13

Winter Lost #14

Buy link 

        Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)

    

blurb 

Moon Called is the novel that introduced Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson to the world and launched a #1 bestselling phenomenon… 

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she’s turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State.

But Mercy’s two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he’s a newly changed werewolf—on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance. 

But Mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her…

“In the increasingly crowded field of kick-ass supernatural heroines, Mercy stands out as one of the best.”—Locus

  • Publisher: Ace
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: January 31, 2006
  • Edition: 1st
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 295 pages
  • ISBN-13: 978-1101208434
  • Book 1 of 14: Mercy Thompson

Review:  Magic & Mutiny (Starry Hollow Witches Book 19) by Annabel Chase 

Rating: 3.5⭐️

Magic & Mutiny (Starry Hollow Witches Book 19) is the finale book of this series by Annabel Chase.  And while it started out great, I think it ran on a bit too long. 

The characters and themes got repetitive and some of their growth was handled poorly. Or halted altogether. 

It ends happily, and there’s an epilogue where we see the characters a couple of years later, and what’s happened in their lives.  That’s satisfying. 

The ending is fine, with some issues. There’s a murder investigation, which is tied to how will the town of Starry Hollow deal with the return of the very much alive Ivy Rose. 

Ivy is the best element here, she’s a sympathetic character and how her situation is resolved is wonderful. 

But the person and people responsible and their actions aren’t well written. It fluctuates from a stand of firmness of position (she’s evil) to immediate change in opinion (my bad, she’s not) in seconds. There’s no reason or real constructive character or foundation for any of this. And it undermines the entire storyline. 

Then it’s let’s say we understand her motivations. Slap on the wrist. Sigh.  It took how many books and this is how Ivy’s story is resolved? 

Way too long. A wedding and done. 

So it’s nice that each book was a quick read but I’m not sure I’d invest my time reading 19 books again with this outcome. It’s a ok read. 

For fans of Annabel Chase I’m sure you’ll be fine. 

Same cute covers that change ever subtly. 

Starry Hollow Witches series:

Box set 1-10:

Magic & Murder, Book 1

Magic & Mystery, Book 2

Magic & Mischief, Book 3

Magic & Mayhem, Book 4

Magic & Mercy, Book 5

Magic & Madness, Book 6

Magic & Malice, Book 7

Magic & Mythos, Book 8

Magic & Mishaps, Book 9

Magic & Maladies, Book 10

—-

Magic & Misdeeds (Book 11)

Magic & Monsters (Book 12)

Magic & Misfits (Book 13)

Magic & Misfortune (Book 14)

Magic & Marriage (Book 15)

Magic & Midnight (Book 16)

Magic & Mirrors (Book 17)

Magic & Mistletoe (Book 18)

Magic & Mutiny (Book 19) – finale 

Buy link

        Magic & Mutiny (Starry Hollow Witches Book 19)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Starry Hollow, where spells were made to be broken.

Ever since the moment her trio of magical cousins whisked her away to Starry Hollow, the town has served as a safe haven for Ember Rose, descendant of the One True Witch. Even the bumps in the roads have smoothed—she’s reconciled with her formidable aunt and is about to marry the love of her life, Sheriff Nash.

All the bumps except the Ivy-shaped one, that is.

Now the entire town is under threat because of a mistake Ember made. Granted, she wasn’t the one who mistreated her ancestor centuries ago, but she was the one who resurrected her.

And now Ivy is ready to exact revenge on the coven that wronged her.

Can Ember stop the mutiny and save her beloved hometown, or will the one-witch rebellion destroy Starry Hollow forever?

Magic & Mutiny is the 19th and final book in the Starry Hollow Witches series, so be sure not to miss how it all ends

Review:  Magic & Mistletoe (Starry Hollow Witches Book 18) by Annabel Chase 

Rating:2.75⭐️

Magic & Mistletoe (Starry Hollow Witches Book 18) by Annabel Chase is both the penultimate book in the series and one I almost DNF’d. 

Personally, I think it’s a story that can be skipped over as it’s one that almost had me thinking about just stopping here.  

I’ve enjoyed watching Ember journey from a scrappy widow and single mother from New Jersey, ignorant about her magical roots and powers to one embracing her paranormal town and community, including family and fiancé.  But this story is one of constant lies and withholding important information from all those around her, including her fiancé and family. 

Lack of communication in adult characters is a big issue for me in books and by the 18th novel we should be way past this stage but it’s still an enormous element here. 

Also she’s acting like a teenager in some of the most serious and emotional situations. Smelling her armpits and making a wisecrack when presented with a picture of devastating loss.  It’s not believable not the following scene either. 

She’s either grown past actions like this, given the development by Chase or she’s regressing because it’s something the author wants to hear scene wise. It makes her character and any growth that she’s undergone seem diminished. Or just unreal. 

This whole thing is a mess. Yes let’s have a nice Christmas Carol type story, and then try to tie it up with the ongoing drama of the revived witch. 

Doesn’t work.  Ended up flipping pages to get to the end. 

I’ll finish the series. But this was a big disappointment. 

Such cute covers that change ever subtly. 

Starry Hollow Witches series:

Box set 1-10:

Magic & Murder, Book 1

Magic & Mystery, Book 2

Magic & Mischief, Book 3

Magic & Mayhem, Book 4

Magic & Mercy, Book 5

Magic & Madness, Book 6

Magic & Malice, Book 7

Magic & Mythos, Book 8

Magic & Mishaps, Book 9

Magic & Maladies, Book 10

—-

Magic & Misdeeds (Book 11)

Magic & Monsters (Book 12)

Magic & Misfits (Book 13)

Magic & Misfortune (Book 14)

Magic & Marriage (Book 15)

Magic & Midnight (Book 16)

Magic & Mirrors (Book 17)

Magic & Mistletoe (Book 18)

Magic & Mutiny (Book 19) – finale 

Buy link

        Magic & Mistletoe (Starry Hollow Witches Book 18)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Starry Hollow, where spells were made to be broken.

It’s Christmastime in Starry Hollow and Ember is not full of good cheer. Instead of indulging in spiked eggnog by a cozy fire, our favorite descendant of the One True Witch is busy helping Aunt Hyacinth contend with three persistent ghosts just like dear Scrooge, along with another, more threatening ghost from the past.

Can Ember save Christmas or will it all go to hell in a one horse open sleigh?

Magic & Mistletoe is the 18th book in the Starry Hollow Witches series.

  • Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: November 9, 2023
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 220 pages
  • Book 18 of 19: Starry Hollow Witches

Review:  Kin of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic #3) by by Lindsay Buroker

Rating: 3.5⭐️

If you’re reading a series and notice certain things or elements of a character(s) or storyline that are starting to become a bit predictable or problematic, then you hope that as the series goes forward, the author has a way to use those things in the narrative or character development. 

At least so it’s not an issue that is highly distracting from the plot or character relationship. 

Unfortunately that’s what is happening with the characters here. 

Spoilers for the preceding book. 

Primarily it’s the character of Duncan and the dynamic between Luna and Duncan. It is absolutely disconnecting me from the character of Luna who I found relatable and interesting in her personality and life story. 

But the dynamic between them, especially with her history with Duncan and her ex-husband, as well as her cousin, it’s just making her out to be either a woman with extremely bad judgment or just a nonsensical storyline.  Duncan, a clone of an ancient powerful werewolf, has betrayed Luna in the past. She forgave him. Then he attacked her, under the control of a mage. One he’s still under the influence of when the mage desires.  The logic is to cut him off.

The author, instead, has Luna repeatedly inviting him,(past, current and future threat) back into her life, the pack’s life and now it looks like her son’s. Yes, this will go as well as expected. 

Just when needed, oh look. He’s running away. Cue up the eye roll. 

Buroker was or is building a picture of a divorced woman trying to handle multiple major events/family crises and struggling with them as she would be. But here’s the thing, Luna has been portrayed as tough, extremely realistic and resilient.   Even with the current state of affairs in her life, with the pack politics, mother’s health, and now the Druid family arriving at the housing units, the relationship dynamics the author has playing out is very counter intuitive to the woman Buroker also wants us to believe in. 

How much of patsy or casualty is Luna expected to be of this relationship and the readers too? It’s getting old fast. 

I’m continuing on but with less enthusiasm than when I began. 

For those who enjoy paranormal werewolf fiction and urban fantasy thrillers, check it out. See what you think. 

“Book cover by Deranged Doctor Design”

Magnetic Magic :

Way of the Wolf #1

Relics of the Wolf #2

Kin of the Wolf #3

Quest of the Wolf #4

Curse of the Wolf-July 11,2025

Buy link

        Kin of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Pack politics, adventure, and romance feature in the third installment of Magnetic Magic. 

Luna has recovered priceless werewolf relics from powerful thieves, but they’re still alive—and they can control her new ally, a lone wolf named Duncan. 

She would be wise to have nothing to do with him, but he’s handsome, charming, and keeps coming to her defense. Further, with certain members of the pack gunning for her, she needs his assistance. Her cousin Augustus is holding a grudge, and she’s going to have to find a way to deal with him—before he deals with her.

Review:  The Past in the Present (Beyond the Veil Book 9) by KM Avery

Rating: 5🌈

The Past in the Present (Beyond the Veil Book 9) by KM Avery is an outstanding piece of work by Avery in a series full of great novels.  

The Past in the Present, Beyond the Veil book 9, finishes Seth and Elliot’s journey and inter-series trilogy. 

Seth Mays and Elliot Crane have slowly made themselves into a couple, with Seth just now moving into Elliot’s home on the reservation and Seth working on his firefighter credentials in Shawano, Wisconsin.

Then a shattering phone call from a Sheriff’s Office in Staunton, Virginia , involving his estranged parents, saying his mother has been murdered , and his father is missing, presumably dead.  Noah, Seth’s young brother has been held for questioning in connection with the deaths. The nightmare of Seth’s past is back and he’s got to go back to a place where he promised himself and Noah  he would never have to return. Home. 

The Past in the Present is a haunting, complex, and deeply moving story. It’s dark, layered with the characters past, horrific damaged history, fully immersed in their current tumultuous lives and relationships, and folded into the twisted ways the Arcanavirus settled into certain parts of the country and communities. 

It brings Seth and Elliott’s relationship into a more intimate and complete sense of balance between them, letting Elliott see firsthand what Seth (as well Noah) traumatic adolescent upbringing was like and what they endured before they escaped their father and family. It’s a horror story at times and the author’s note of trigger warnings at the beginning should be read. 

This is also an excellent labyrinthine mystery about the current murder investigation, Seth’s family, wills, and an extreme religious sect. This aspect of The Past in the Present brings in our favorite elf agent, Val Hart (Elliot’s best friend) and his new FBI boss, Tiger shifter, Raj, who will figure in the next series group. 

It’s both a psychological mystery and action horror thriller. A well thought out story of two individuals who have overcome their differences and fears to become a true couple and have a stronger relationship. And it’s one man’s story to work through his personal demons and struggles with self worth and find peace in himself and his own new life. 

I can’t imagine a better story or journey for Seth than the one Avery had written here. It’s just that exceptional. 

Each story often sends me back to reread a certain moment in the series that made me realize how amazing the characters and each element is. 

And now to wait on Rayn’s voice. Highly recommended. 

Series couples to date (not standalone):

Ward’s story (1-3): 

The Ghost in the Hall 

The Boy in the Locked Room 

The Skeleton Under the Stairs. 

Hart’s story (4-6): 

The Dog in the Alley 

The Bones in the Yard 

The Elf Beside Himself 

Seth’s story (7-9): 

The Turning of the Tables 

The Badger in his Burrow 

The Past in the Present 

Rayn’s Story (10 +) (coming 2025-2026) 

Buy Link

        The Past in the Present (Beyond the Veil Book 9)

    

Blurb 

Everything was finally going well. I had a job I liked, a man I loved, and a future we were building together.

And then the past came back to haunt me—and now I have to go back to the house in Appalachia where my parents had made my childhood a living hell. Where Noah and I had been broken, over and over, as the people who were supposed to love and protect us tried to turn us into something we weren’t and would never be.

It was a place I’d never wanted to go again.

But I now I have to. Because the parents I never meant to speak to again are dead, and Noah’s fingerprints were found all over the kitchen.

I didn’t know why Noah went back, what had happened to my parents, or whether my psyche was going to make it through a trip back to middle-of-nowhere rural Virginia. Or my relationship. I’d finally managed to convince Elliot to give me a chance, and he was about to find out about a lot of skeletons in a very deep, very dark closet.

I could only hope that he’d be willing to help me bury the bones.

Book 3 in Seth’s Story

  • Publication date: June 27, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 370 pages
  • Book 9 of 9: Beyond the Veil

Review:  How to Entice a Fiend (VRC: Vampire Related Crimes Book 6) by Alice Winters

Rating: 4.25🌈

It’s been a while since I’ve read this series, but quickly became reacquainted with the universe and characters and where we left off with their stories and the drama that was going on.

Mads, the UK council member with a mysterious backstory, and Ender ,the damaged vampire who has a deadly mission yet a responsibility for a younger vampire, Rylee, he clearly adores, is a very interesting couple.  

This story and their roles has so many layers to it that their relationship develops really quickly, far too easily, given each man’s trauma and pasts to fully reach the levels of trust it goes into here. I wish their timelines and story length had more longer so they could have better chemistry and development.

All the other couples are present. Claude is hilarious as always. Rylee the young vampire ward of Ender’s is amazing, as is her dynamic with him and those around her. Like Orin and Finn. 

Things go explosive. Fight scenes and fast paced moments of suspense. And , in a wonderful ending, Winters goes for a more believable HFN ending rather than HEA. There’s still too many loose ends still to be pulled together for this to happen. 

How to Entice a Fiend (VRC: Vampire Related Crimes Book 6) by Alice Winters is another exciting book in an excellent paranormal series from an auto buy author. 

A definite winner. 

Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs

VRC: Vampire Related Crimes :

How to Vex a Vampire #1

How to Elude a Vampire #2

How to Lure a Hunter #3

How to Save a Human #4

How to Defy a Vampire #5

How to Entice a Fiend #6

Buy link:

        How to Entice a Fiend (VRC: Vampire Related Crimes Book 6)

    

Blurb 

Mads

As a member of the vampire council, being tasked with keeping an eye on a few people shouldn’t be too hard, right?

Wrong.

The moment I meet the VRC, I realize how very wrong I am. It’s fascinating how in a group filled with ancient beings, the only reasonable one is the human. Definitely not the grumpy vampire… or the other grumpy vampire… and don’t get me started on the eye-searing clothes the bubbly one wears.

And that’s when I run into Ender.

Well… run is probably the wrong word. It’s more like he accidentally saves my life, joins me for a fun torture fest from some guy who woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and then ends up fleeing through unknown territory with my naked body slung over his shoulder.

Is there a better meet-cute than all of that?

Probably not, as long as we ignore the real reason I’m here.

Ender

Keeping Rylee safe is the only thing I should care about. So then how is it that I find myself being pulled along by Mads, a member of the council that I’ve sworn to get rid of? He’s charismatic, charming, and really far too suspicious, but our paths merge as I fight to end an injustice that started hundreds of years ago.

Mads is making me realize that maybe there is more to my life than becoming a martyr for people who seem to think I’m the bad guy. While others see me as a monster, he sees who I really am.

And I will do anything to keep him from the danger he’s been drawn into.