Category: Supernatural

Review:  The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 5) by Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare

Rating:  5⭐️

In The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist authors take Bunny and her best friend, Sidnee outside of Portlock to the Alaska State Trooper training academy for training and certification. 

It’s a mixture of hidden paranormal cadets and normal human beings with all the same bigotry and prejudice that people face in social situations. Except that the paranormal recruits are expected to hide their abilities from their classmates and staff and still get their certificates. A difficulty in dealing with some bullying recruits.

I really loved this story and appreciated the many well developed storylines that further broadened the series arc mystery and allowed many of these characters to deepen their relationships and potential for their own powers. 

Bunny’s character is growing stronger with each case. She’s discovering new powers, allowing herself to become closer to the people she is now considering her “found family “, and her own powers are being expanded into a new level of magic.  Sidnee, the shifter whose friendship and trauma has been so much a part of Bunny’s story, is a big part of the story too. She’s struggling still with past events but trying hard to find her way through. 

Without specific details, Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare use a poltergeist, a truly poignant piece of work here, to bring another bit of this series back into play. Outstanding storytelling!

And of course, I have to mention Fluffy and his own personal struggles with his transformation ability or lack thereof. Love Fluffy and that enigma Shadow. 

Another fantastic book! I’m so addicted to these characters and world.  

Highly recommended!

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 – July 3,2025

Buy link

        The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 5)

    

Blurb 

This academy’s secrets could get you killed – if the poltergeist doesn’t get you first…

I thought going back to school would be fun. After all, we’re adults now – no angst-ridden teen dramas here – and we’re all law-enforcement recruits training to become State Troopers. Surely we’ll work together like professionals, right? Wrong.

One of my fellow recruits has it in for me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I’d peed in his cereal or corrected his grammar in public, but I swear I’ve done nothing to deserve the daggers he’s throwing my way.

The problem is that he’s not the only one giving me grief.

The academy has a unique resident, a poltergeist who loves nothing more than causing havoc. What starts as harmless pranks quickly turns sinister and I’m left wondering just how far the spirit will go.

The deeper I dig the more I realise this academy isn’t just haunted, it’s hiding something far worse than ghosts and ghouls. And if I don’t uncover the truth soon, I might not make it to graduation…

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

  • Publisher: Hellhound Press Limited (December 6, 2024)
  • Publication date: December 6, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 257 pages

Review: The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 4) by Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare

Rating: 5⭐️

The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine: An Urban Fantasy Novel is a story I’ve been anticipating but sort of dreading. Because it’s focused on Fluffy, that endearing, remarkable German Shepherd who Bunny rescued in London, and has been a huge emotional support and absolute love for her here. 

Well, it doesn’t start out as being a Fluffy centric story but as an investigation into who is hexing people around town with increasingly complex and dangerous curses. Really  mysterious cases lead into ones that are closely linked to the people Bunny holds dear and are getting curses that are highly dangerous, even deadly.

The new elements introduced a fabulous magical black market and intriguing sides to established characters. 

But the biggest issue and surprise is that Fluffy carries a curses that no one knew about and has no idea what it entails.

 Again, this is such a completely layered and beautifully crafted story that I’m not throwing in any spoilers. Just that it’s wrenching emotionally, funny, but mostly poignant and sad. It’s gives Bunny and the reader even greater insight into her traumatic childhood and recent horrible events that led her to Alaska. 

This book is full of scenes and characters that have reverberations that will carry forward for the rest of the series. 

Amazing stuff and fantastic writing.

Highly recommended, a reader’s choice for me. Read the series in the order written. 

Again, love Fluffy and the covers. 

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 – July 3,2025

Buy link

        The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 4)

    

Blurb 

Spells, hexes and curses.

Curses are falling on this town like rain in London. Just when I think I’ve found a link between the hexed victims, someone else shows up who’s been jinxed. It feels like the devil is playing darts with my paranormal town and if the dart hits you, you get whammied with a curse.

To be honest, I haven’t a clue how to find the perpetrator. My sole lead is pointing at the travelling black market that has just arrived in Portlock. That would be all fine and dandy —ifI could find it. Weirdly, no one is willing to direct the cops to a highly illegal market. I’m obviously persona non grata – though being a slightly-less-than-undead vampire, I’m kind of used to that.

On top of everything, my overbearing British mother has come to visit. Stuck in my shoebox of a house together, we might actually have to deal with some of our issues. Thank goodness I have Connor Mackenzie, vampire leader and sexy lumberjack, to run to when the going gets tough.

I’m juggling things—badly—when I discover my dog is cursed. What am I willing to do to save my hound? Anything and everything.

The world can burn for all I care, as long as I can save my pup…

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

  • Publisher: Hellhound Press Limited (June 28, 2024)
  • Publication date: June 28, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 471 pages

Review:  Any Witch Wolf: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 2 by C.P. Rider

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Any Witch Wolf was a terrific story in a number of ways. The first is that Rider did the unexpected in terms of moving the character’s development and the apparent storyline in new directions than I’d anticipated.

Instead of moving comfortably with Betty’s magic and her settled in the trailer park, Rider’s story has Betty’s painful struggles with her magic, her memories of her mother’s love and legacy, as well as the trailer park’s own story still vividly in place. 

Betty’s grief is being dealt with and shared with her friend, Ada, a retired necromancer living in the same trailer park, along with her familiar, a magical cat named Fennel and Cecil, a homicidal garden gnome.  

Rider’s dusty small town citizens, human and paranormal, are beautifully crafted. Each feels genuine and natural to their age and living circumstances, doesn’t matter if they’re elderly werewolves who like to garden or frisky otherworldly beings who end up in a black book of a missing Lothario werewolf, they are realistic and characters who we connect with. 

And when Betty is asked to find that missing werewolf, it becomes a funny, poignant journey we take with her. One of discovery through an older community very reflective of those around us. 

Of course this investigation is not the only storyline that’s being played out here. Sexton’s involved. As is Betty’s past. 

Any Witch Wolf: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 2 by C.P. Rider is another compelling read, setting up multiple dramatic plots for the next story to come. 

I can’t wait as I’m completely invested in this desert paranormal trailer community and Betty!

Highly recommended.

Great cover.

Cover design by The Book Brander

The Smokethorn Paranormals Series :

Strike It Witch #1

Any Which Wolf #2

Wicked Witch of the Wolf #3 – May 31,2025

Buy link

        Any Witch Wolf: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 2

    

Blurb 

“Promise you won’t do anything to put yourself in danger.”

“That’s not a promise I’m comfortable making. My partners are a delinquent gnome and a willing-accomplice magical cat. Plus, my best friend just bought a case of spelled wine from the witches in Sundance.”

Betty Lennox is an elemental witch in a desert town that gives Hades a run for its money in summer. Her magic is tied to the land under a paranormal seniors’ trailer park she inherited from her mother, land that hasn’t fully accepted her. Because of this, her power has become unpredictable, unreliable, and unbelievably inconvenient.

Small-town trailer parks don’t pay much, so when a job pops up to find a missing beta wolf—an octogenarian lothario with a shoebox of questionable toys and a little black book filled with juicy tidbits about the town’s senior ladies— she takes it. As Betty delves deeper into the investigation, she attracts the attention of a dangerous stalker and a deadly alpha wolf.

To track down the missing Casanova and avoid her enemies, she’ll need to rely on her partners—a magical cat named Fennel and Cecil, a homicidal garden gnome with a penchant for explosives—her retired necromancer best friend, a graveyard demon she doesn’t trust, and the sexy-as-sin son of her worst enemy.

For fans of urban fantasy with a side of slow-burn romance.

  • Publisher: VC Group, LLC (January 31, 2025)
  • Publication date: January 31, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 307 pages

Review:  Strike It Witch: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 1 by C.P. Rider

Rating:4.5⭐️

“Thanks for your concern, but I don’t need your protection. I have a mystical cat, an unprincipled gnome with a violent streak, and I have my magic.” Betty Lennox

In my quest for writers and books with new approaches to their main characters and the tropes I enjoy reading, this is a great new find that I can’t wait to share. 

Although the author is a popular writer, C.P. Rider is new to me. The Smokethorn Paranormals is the first series I’ve read by Rider and all its characters and elements have struck a chord with me.  

Starting with the main character of Betty Lennox, a grief torn earth witch, living in a 19 ft Airstream trailer in the paranormal seniors’ trailer park she inherited from her mother.  Betty’s curvaceous, dark-haired reflective of her Mexican heritage, and trying to leave her desert hometown of Smokethorn, California.  But she has to honor her mother’s wishes and legacy and find the right earth witch to buy the property. 

From the paranormal senior citizens in living in the trailer park, beautifully realized and hilariously depicted in a number of scenes, to the desert area around her, the location feels fresh and authentic. A vibrant new world for a series and group of extraordinary characters. That extends to the town itself. 

Rider’s Betty Lennox is a woman so consumed by her loss that she doesn’t even realize how it’s caused her to become stuck in life, a kind of limbo.  Unable to move forward however she tries.  It’s a powerful portrayal of love, loss and grief.  And magic. 

For it’s magic or its absence that a clear sign of loss and grief. 

Betty’s friends, one of whom is a retired necromancer in her eighties, Ada, 

Cover design by The Book Brander”

The Smokethorn Paranormals Series :

Strike It Witch #1

Any Which Wolf #2

Wicked Witch of the Wolf #3 – May 31,2025

Buy link

        Strike It Witch: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 1

    

Blurb 

“Thanks for your concern, but I don’t need your protection. I have a mystical cat, an unprincipled gnome with a violent streak, and I have my magic.”

Betty Lennox is an elemental witch on a mission to leave her desert hometown of Smokethorn, California, for good. But first, she needs to sell the property she inherited from her mother to someone who, among other things, doesn’t mind living in a paranormal seniors’ trailer park in a town where it’s so hot in summer that the local demons head back to Hades to cool off.

She’s also running low on cash to keep up the protection spell on the park. When she’s offered a job to procure a cursed grimoire, one so dangerous the local coven won’t touch it, she takes it. Even though the job comes from a vicious wolf alpha who won’t rest until she’s dead.

To get the grimoire and keep her soul, she’ll have to lean on her partner—a magic cat named Fennel—Cecil, a homicidal garden gnome, a graveyard demon, her retired necromancer best friend, and her second-least favorite bartender in town, who also just happens to be the wolf alpha’s son.

If they can manage to work together without killing each other, Betty just might survive.

For fans of urban fantasy with a side of slow-burn romance.

  • Publisher: VC Group, LLC (October 30, 2024)
  • Publication date: October 30, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 264 pages

Review : Enchantra (Wicked Games #2) by Kaylie Smith

Rating:  4.5⭐️

What initially appeared to be a duology, Wicked Games is clearly expanding into a full series with this novel and the addition of the paranormal Silver family to a universe that had focused solely on the Grimm sisters, Ophelia and Genevieve Grimm, and Ophelia’s love Salem. 

Enchantra picks up from the events in Phantasma, a novel where Ophelia Grimm , recipient of the Grimm matriarchal necromancer powers, enters a gothic mansion looking for her sister, Genevieve Grimm , and ends up having to play a sinister deadly game, Phantasma. 

It’s a fantastic story and horrifying game , which ends with Ophelia leaving with a romantic demon love, Salem, and her sister safely out of the mansion. This couple and Salem himself have a great impact on Genevieve’s reasons for her trip. 

Enchantra is a new devilish game, a location, as well as being Genevieve Grimm’s story, all taking place in Italy. Genevieve or Vivi is a complex, layered character. The younger sister born into a matriarchal family of necromancers, Genevieve always felt like an outsider in her world of magical women. The one left to her own devices, the one not given any real affection or sense of belonging. 

Smith builds into her character all the emotional aspects of a person wounded by her childhood and events in her adolescence. When a reader gets frustrated ,as i did, by her impulsive actions, it’s easy to think about the situation and reason behind her reactions. 

This is also a marriage of convenience, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, dark fantasy romance. With deadly games and demonic monsters. 

The Silver family, starting with Rowen Silver the person who greets her at the door and immediately tells her to go, are an intriguing bunch. With each new stage of the game, both the reader and Genevieve will have a better understanding of each of them. 

The world building and supernatural elements are frightening, violent and full of twists. The Silver family, all the many siblings and familiars are violent, terrifying and magical. 

The only member who didn’t have much of a role or well defined character is the father, a surprising aspect of the story.  This factor and one other thing makes me think that the author is waiting for another book to bring him back into this series. 

The ending is fantastic. Emotionally powerful and extremely satisfying. But it also has one strange twist, a element that is a pivotal part of book one and is mentioned a couple of times at the start here, and that’s the fact that Salem’s true name was forgotten by all by terms of agreement.

And yet there’s this ending. I can’t imagine that the author doesn’t keep track of her own notes on important series elements or aspects of characters . So it would seem this too is a big part of the series going forward.

Either way, it makes for delicious suspense and fun for the next novel in Wicked Games. 

Highly recommended.

Great covers. 

Cover design Alexandra Purtan/ Fenix Cover Designs

Wicked Games series: 

Phantasma # 1

Enchantra #2

Buy link

        Enchantra: A spicy fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 2)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Enchantra. There’s only one rule: Never, ever trust your heart.

When Genevieve Grimm’s mother is killed, Genevieve wants answers nobody can give… until she receives an invitation to Enchantra, a cursed palace filled with temptations and illusions.

Arrogant and dangerously handsome, Rowin Silver meets her at the door and refuses to let her inside. But Genevieve finds her own way in… And soon realizes her mistake.

Enchantra is a twisted labyrinth of marble and thorns, where Rowin’s family are trapped forever in a deadly game. Now, Genevieve must win or die.

Rowin offers her a deal. They can compete together… if they convince everyone watching that they’re desperately in love.

Genevieve knows she can’t trust Rowin, but she’ll do whatever it takes to survive. As they hunt and hide together, Genevieve tries to ignore the desire burning between them. She absolutely cannot fall for this man. Cannot forget that she’s only pretending to be in love.

After all, it was Rowin who taught her Enchantra’s first rule… Never, ever trust your heart.

Packed with deadly intrigue and spicy romance, Enchantra will transport you to a world of feisty heroines and morally gray love interests, fake dating, forbidden desire and family secrets. If you love books by Kerri Maniscalco, Carissa Broadbent and Lauren Roberts, prepare to discover your new romantasy obsession.

  • Publisher: Second Sky (April 8, 2025)
  • Publication date: April 8, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 443 pages

Review:  Bloodlust Blues (Charley Underwood Book 1) by Luanne Bennett

Rating: 4⭐️

I’ve been searching for new authors and series that offer different perspectives or approaches to certain tropes and main characters I enjoy reading.  

I love a good paranormal or urban fantasy universe that focuses on a different kind of location and a character that’s outside of the usual main character frame. 

So a story situated inside an old local bar & grill where its colorful walls are covered in years of signatures and memorabilia and it’s clientele is a mixture of human and supernatural beings, getting their drink on to tunes on the jukebox? Yes, sign me up. 

A town called Crimson, Georgia where the paranormal and humans have come to live in a peaceful place, sort of. 

Charley Underwood owns the bar, The White Stag, locally known as the Stag, which has been in her family. Her employees are werewolves, as well as a human or two. And her mother, a powerful witch, has recently died. 

Bloodlust Blues sees Charley running a covert blood bank out of her back rooms, using donated vampire blood to help the elderly and impoverished people of town. 

I really enjoyed the story. It sets up the foundation knowledge of the town and surrounding areas.  Bennett also brings in all the characters that will form Charley’s found family and the character that is the potential romantic connection. And his familiar. 

There’s a terrific mystery that involves a couple of murders as well as missing people.  And the introduction of a permanent villain type character too. 

Bennett shows the journey that Charley has to take, as she finds out how magical she actually is. And why she wasn’t trained all along. 

I can’t wait to see her next story and how this character is developed.

A definite winner. 

Cover design Damonza.com”

The Charley Underwood series -complete 

Bloodlust Blues 

Bloodlust Bites 

Bloodlust Curse 

Bloodlust Shadows

Buy link

        Bloodlust Blues: A heart-racing and completely addictive urban fantasy (Charley Underwood Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Crimson, Georgia. I’m Charley—reluctant witch, and owner of the best bar in town. 

Everyone’s welcome at the Stag—vampire, wolf or human. As long as they don’t make trouble. Or ask too many questions about what we’re selling out of the back room.

I keep the beers coming, and in return the town keeps my secret. But when a gang of deadly vampires shows up at the bar, it’s clear they’re not looking for a drink. They want to take my business. Or my blood.

But this is more than just a shake down. All over town, people are dropping like flies. Disappearing or attacking their neighbors. It’s like they’re possessed. And someone—or something—is pulling the strings.

As if I didn’t have enough trouble, a fancy new restaurant just opened right across the street. And a sexy vampire from out of town seems to think I need protection. I have plenty of dangerous friends already… so why can’t I stop thinking about him?

The whole town is going to hell. Perhaps literally. And it looks like it’s up to me to stop it. 

Discover a thrilling new series that will leave you reading late into the night. With heart-stopping twists and a found family you’ll fall in love with, this urban fantasy is perfect for fans of Annabel Chase, Charlaine Harris, and Patricia Briggs.

Review:  Dead Heat (Crossroads Queen Book 7) by Annabel Chase

Rating: 5⭐️

Dead Heat really escalates the overall danger that’s been created and implies that the many serious threats towards Lorelei and her found family are more imminent and deadly. 

There are a boatload of plot lines here, from an incubus bartender with a strange mark on his chest that needs a bit of investigation to a new visitor in need of a place to stay, and as always, The villainous Corporation wanting Lorelei and sending its minions after her.  But of course, there’s more, and it’s Kane, her demon boyfriend, who might be in trouble. 

Dead Heat (Crossroads Queen Book 7) by Annabel Chase superbly increases the level of danger, suspense and chaos for all the characters going forward. Chase has brought Lorelei into the Fairhaven fold, made her its guardian, and given her a found family of vampires, assassins, witches, werewolves, ghosts and the odd paranormal beings.  Even a human sheriff and demon boyfriend.

And now the largest threat is to the very people and things she came there to avoid happening and having.

Great job and story.

I’m reading two books at a time. And I’ve heard that Half Dead #8 ends on a cliffhanger and Dead End #9 isn’t released yet. So I’ll wait until both are available and then read right through. 

Until then, this is one amazing series. Binge them or just read them one by one. Fab stuff. Great character development and plotting. A true winner.

Cover by Trif Designs, which has changed to reflect the fact that the word has gotten out that Lorelei Clay is a demigod. So great touch with that head halo/crown addition. 

Crossroads Queen series:

Dead to the World #1

Dead of Night #2

Dead Last #3

Dead Wrong #4

Dead Weight #5

Play Dead #6

Dead Heat #7

Half Dead #8

Dead End #9 – April 17,2025

Buy link

        Dead Heat (Crossroads Queen Book 7)

    

Blurb 

It isn’t easy being the liminal deity of a multirealm crossroads, as Lorelei Clay can attest. There are the typical issues, of course, like a wayward god stumbling into Wild Acres, and then there are the more pressing ones…

Like an incubus who wakes up with a mysterious mark on his chest and a timer on his life.

And the demon with an urgent message for Kane.

And the mysterious flying monsters with vengeance in their hearts that threaten the peace and tranquility of Fairhaven.

And last, but definitely not least, a visit from The Corporation’s latest minion, who might finally make Lorelei an offer she can’t refuse.

Don’t miss Dead Heat, Crossroads Queen, book 7. For fans of quaint small towns chock full of vampires, fae, witches, werewolves, mage assassins, ghosts, and the clueless humans they protect

Review:  Spirit Witch (The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Magic Book 3) by Helen Harper

 

Rating: 5⭐️

Ok I read this at 3am in the morning  because I’d just finished Star Witch with its shocking ending and had to rush here to see what happened. 

Whew! 

What is it with this trend of authors killing their main characters? This is the third book in a row and series where this has been a major element.  Not sure my heart is ready for more at this point.

But this sets up Ivy for several new stages in her life. A new romance with Winter, who’s all in now, especially after losing her and getting her back. Because Ivy definitely was dead but was brought back. 

And Ivy can now see and communicate with the dead. And a livelier, albeit dead, group has never been seen. Or heard than here. 

She’s asked for help to find a missing person, which leads her into a serial killer case involving dead witches and a threat to her friends and lover. 

Harper leans into the intimate details of Ivy’s new relationship with Winter, who has resigned from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, blaming the Order for Ivy’s death, even though she was resurrected.  But he’s struggling, and so is she in the new dynamic, a very realistic scenario.

Comedic relief in this story comes in many forms, sometimes it’s with the ghost who demands Ivy’s attention , with an outdated idea of attitudes towards women and the world. Or , in a scene that still has me giggling, it’s Ivy herself, attempting to enter through a second story window.  I’ll not spoil it, but needless to say, I’ve reread this scene several times. 

The story is harrowing, funny, well executed , full of several layered plot lines that are balanced and compelling. From a tight investigation into various murder mysteries to the intimacy of their personal relationship, the book continuously weaves both together until it reaches a great conclusion. 

Spirit Witch (The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Magic Book 3) by Helen Harper is a fantastic book. In many respects it feels like it could be the series finale as it beautifully ties together so many characters storylines and gives them a great ending.  I was so happy when I was done. 

There is another story, a holiday novella to read, which I’m onto next.

Ivy is a character who I wish there were more of in the books I read. She’s outside of the main character norm and I absolutely adore her.  The series is terrific and the characters around her just as compelling.

A must read.

Cover by Yocla Designs. an accurate representation actually . She’s a fantastic character.

The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Magic:

Slouch Witch #1

Star Witch #2

Spirit Witch #3

Sparkle Witch #4 – a holiday novella 

Buy link 

        Spirit Witch (The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Magic Book 3)

    

Blurb 

If anyone appreciates what it means to be dead to the world, it’s Ivy Wilde.

Barely recovered from her brush with necromancy, Ivy is flung once more into a world of intrigue, adventure and potential death and disaster. It’s not her fault – it just so turns out that she’s now the only person in the entire world who can communicate with the dead. And they’re a chatty bunch with a list of demands. 

When the ghosts offer information about a witch-hating mass murderer in return for Ivy’s help, she has no choice but to get involved. She might be getting herself into more trouble than she realises though – and that’s even before she’s dragged to Sunday dinner so she can meet Winter’s family…

This is the third book in The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Magic series.

  • Publication date: August 23, 2017
  • Language: English
  • File size: 1.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage: Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Screen Reader: Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Enabled
  • Word Wise: Enabled
  • Print length: 288 pages

Review:  Play Dead (Crossroads Queen Book 6) by Annabel Chase

Rating: 5⭐️

This series just keeps getting better, and breaking my heart in places in the process. Over characters that I never expected to care about. 

Chase’s gifts in crafting storylines that are layered in ways that are so deceptive to the reader’s mind and imagination that by now we should know better than to assume anything or have any expectations for anyone. 

Because Chase is almost guaranteed to turn or twist what we think we know around into something totally unforeseen or shockingly horrifying. Or great. I dunno. 

The mythological world of characters and creatures that’s being brought into Fairhaven, through the portals or another mysterious manner, is ever expanding. It’s a fabulous series element that it’s not limited to one culture or any kind of supernatural world element, but multiple pantheons, gods, and their respective realms are coming into play. 

The Corporation is still a big bad and their minions are an ever present realistically visualized threat. What a well crafted horror they are. 

The Wild Hunt is a main event here and its arrival sets off a chain reaction of events including one I didn’t expect, one that saw me crying. Who knew. 

Lorelei is dealing letting her inner circle of friends into her secrets, renovating her crumbling castle, making sure her ghosts and visitor are safe and well, happily doing whatever.  While the Hunt comes in to cause trouble. 

A fantastic read, great character development, marvelous storylines, and the Wild Hunt was an imaginative new element to introduce.  

Another must read series and auto buy author. 

Cover by Trif Designs, which has changed to reflect the fact that the word has gotten out that Lorelei Clay is a demigod. So great touch with that head halo/crown addition. 

Crossroads Queen series:

Dead to the World #1

Dead of Night #2

Dead Last #3

Dead Wrong #4

Dead Weight #5

Play Dead #6

Dead Heat #7

Half Dead #8

Dead End #9 – April 17,2025

Buy link

        Play Dead (Crossroads Queen Book 6)

    

Blurb 

In Fairhaven, there’s no rest for the wicked, the weary, or anyone in between.

The Wild Hunt is on its way to town, commanded by a ruthless leader who leaves only destruction in his wake.

Meanwhile, the Castle has opened its doors as a sanctuary for an unexpected and unwelcome visitor, which puts a damper on Lorelei’s budding relationship with resident demon prince of hell, Kane Sullivan. Even worse, the houseguest brings another hunting party to town, one that Lorelei has been careful to avoid. 

As the threats escalate and secrets are revealed, Lorelei must come to terms with a moment of truth she never anticipated—if she can survive the hunt.

Play Dead is the sixth book in the Crossroads Queen series.

  • Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC (June 20, 2024)
  • Publication date: June 20, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 282 pages

Review: Amber Gambler (The Body Shop Book 2) by Hailey Edwards

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Amber Gambler really was a revelation for me. Where I might have been slow to connect with the universe and the relationships here, maybe even understanding the main character of Frankie Mary as much as I should, this story now immediately has me committing to them, and this series. I’m all in. 

It picks up after the shocking events of Fair Market Value.  The Mary’s are dealing with the emotional and physical damage of the deep betrayal of someone who they thought was a friend. Frankie’s recovering, missing Kierce who’s left to heal his wounds as well as trying to find the right mental state to heal herself from the trauma of Lyle and his son, Harrow. 

There’s Carter’s awful storyline left hanging to bring in here, plus Josie and Matty’s own emotional wounds. 

With all that going on, a ghost comes to Frankie in his need. His granddaughter is missing and he needs Frankie’s help to find her.  

Edwards story is so compelling in that it’s complex and emotional nature allows the author to explore the tragedy of those children who were failed by the society, social care system, or even their own families.  Whether it’s the Mary siblings and their horrific experiences in their foster care system or for the missing girls and abandoned kids Frankie finds along the way, this is a raw, tragic and deeply personal element here. 

Frankie is undergoing physical and psychological changes as well, changes she’s not understanding, something she’s hiding from her family.  

Kierse and his companion crow, Badb , a great character who’s both comedic relief and mysterious being, are back as powerful entities. Kierse is also the potential romantic partner and is more multidimensional. I’m absolutely team Kierse, especially considering the events the play out. Harrow continues to be that toxic personality that everyone regrets. 

Carter is a marvel. She’s quickly becoming a great new surprise as a layered individual who can deliver a new facet of her personality when it’s time. 

As Frankie works with Carter and Kierse to find the missing child, the narrative builds a compelling emotional journey with Edwards creating multiple threads that connect murder mysteries , numerous mythological gods and legends , entwined with deeply intimate personal experiences and characters histories. 

Characters now become more flawed, more complex and wounded. Believable because they’re grounded by revealed histories and ,now, shared trauma, that we too have been a part of. Especially that devastating dramatic event that ends  the book. 

Amazing storytelling by Hailey Edwards. A absolute treasure of a story and cast of characters. 

A must read. 

Great cover art both for storytelling and characters. 

Cover by Damonza 

Illustration by Marouane Hs

The Body Shop series:

Fair Market Value #1

Amber Gambler #2

Midnight Auto Parts #3

Cheater Slicks #4 – Dec 25,2025

Other linked series:

The Potentate of Atlanta (6 book series) – this is set within The Potentate apparently 

The Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy (9 book series) in Savannah 

Buy link

        Amber Gambler (The Body Shop Book 2)

    

Blurb 

The other family business at The Body Shop is slow after word gets out that Frankie had clients die—cease to exist?—on her watch. Considering they were dead to begin with, she understands why the news shook the spirit community’s faith in her, but it’s a hard hit to her bottom line.

When a spirit appears in her office, ready to sign a contract, she’s eager to please. Until she learns why he wants to hire her. He heard about her clients’ deaths, yes, but he also learned Frankie was instrumental in bringing their killer to justice.

The spirit’s human granddaughter has gone missing, and he wants Frankie to find her before it’s too late. Frankie’s no detective, but her schedule is wide open. The job is to save the girl, but with so many gods and monsters prowling the streets of Thunderbolt these days, she’ll be lucky if she can save herself.

  • Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC. (September 19, 2024)
  • Publication date: September 19, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 306 pages