Ghostly Findings finds ME Lance and his boyfriend, Detective Angus Young, soon involved in a horrific case of murder and a hunt for a serial killer who might have victims waiting to be found.
I thought this was a great case, one which added quite a few new ghosts to the paranormal family existing at Lanceās house, and maybe even more interesting tidbits about the life after each passes. Author Laya is building out to their already established ghostly foundation as well as the earthly one with each new book.
The crimes are heinous but have happened off page. The ghosts are no longer traumatized by the crimes and events theyāve endured.
Lance and Angus are trying to find time to work on their own relationship and romance but their jobs and workload realistically interferes. Plus we get a better look at Angus and Lanceās work situations and coworkers. This includes Angusā partner Franks, a character we get to know well and become invested in too.
The determination, the investigation, the manner in which the ghostly details must be shared or threaded into their reports feels about right. Even the ending. Did I wish for more high drama? Yes. But was the way it unfolded probably more in keeping with the story? Yes.
Iām absolutely enjoying these stories and characters. The mysteries and the relationships are amazing.
So itās onto Ghostly Envy and new murders, and obviously new ghosts. Canāt wait.
Definitely recommending the Ghostly series for all lovers of the paranormal romance trope with the elements of mystery and murder thrown in.
As a medical examiner, seeing ghosts has its advantages. After being informed by a ghost that there is a mass grave in the area, Lance and Detective Angus Young feel the fallout. As one investigates the murders, the other investigates the bodies, both trying to piece together what happened. Luckily, the dead aren’t all silent. As ghosts of the victims appear, clues to what happened start to come together. The only problem now is figuring out who the killer is and catching him before he strikes again.
No Friends At Abergwyn is the second story in the Tudor and Stewart Cosy Mystery trilogy and itās even better than the first.
Ripley Hayes dives into the background of the magical baker who lives in a field, Lorne Stewart. Peter Tudor, the nurse whoād left his A&E job in the city to come home to care for his disabled mother, has found himself at odds with his life in Abergwyn. While heās fond of his hometown, his mother has ample support, a boyfriend, and no real need for him. And his skills arenāt being used in his current job. Only in his new relationship with Lorne can he be said to be happy. With questions.
Does Peter believe in magic?
Hayes builds a story strong on mysteries, full of questions both personal and those that involve the mystical. All threaded so neatly together that it feels completely natural.
With the ancient oaks, the sea, Enzo the horse and Charlie the dog, both of which seem perfectly capable of communicating with the humans they adore, and magic that makes itself a real presence. These are storylines that pull the reader in , through murders, through personal experiences, drama and joy!
The characters are sympathetic, easy to empathize with, interesting and layered.
The third book should be the most interesting in that itās removed from Abergwyn. That was a character all itās own.
Now onto the last one of the trilogy.
Iām highly recommending this and the one prior. Great characters and elements. I love a terrific cosy. Here you have two!
Lorne’s past has caught up with him in the shape of a mini-convoy of camper vans, and a mysterious book of his mother’s recipes. Which turns out to be magic. Of course it does.
Peter knows there is no such thing as magic, but he’s falling hard for Lorne and trying to keep an open mind.It’s harder to be open-minded abut the camper van people, who just sit around drinking tea and eating Lorne’s cakes. Then one of them turns up dead, and Lorne is arrested for the killing — by Peter’s schoolboy-crush-turned-policeman.
With his mother and Dave-next-door all loved-up, his old job calling him back, and tarot cards at every turn, the last thing Peter needs is a murder to investigate. But that’s life: what happens when you’d planned something else.
No Friends at Abergwyn is the second book in the Tudor and Stewart gay cozy mystery series from bestselling author Ripley Hayes.
What a delightful find! New to me author! Small village Welsh location, with all that entails. And itās a cosy mystery.
That means the following elements. Busybody main characters, small communityās over abundance of gossip and intrigue, a murder or more , a romance however slow to build, and animals. A dog, cat, or in this story a charming dog and a horse!
Both of those belong to a bit of a magical man, Lorne Stewart, who along with Enzo the horse and Charlie the dog, have invaded the quiet village of Abergwyn, and settled into his field, and started baking his acceptance into the villagers hearts.
Recently returned home to Abergwyn is Peter Tudor. Once a A&E nurse but now a rural district nurse in order to return home to live with his disabled mother, diagnosed with MS. A mother who decidedly needs less help from Peter than he realizes.
The mother/son relationship is real, warm, and loving. Peter almost blindly not accepting the truth of the degree his mother is able to do on her own. The strong support system in place from neighbors and friends heās been unaware of away from home.
Peterās situation too is believable. Heās suffering from leaving a position and type of ER job he thrived in to go to one where his skills are wasted and heās feeling cut off from others and maybe even depressed.
Hayesā realistically, and with gentle humor and care, builds up her foundation and the personalities of the people who will make up the series and the stories we will invest our time in.
I was entertained, really got into the village life and people, and saw the start of the romance that will build.
I thought it ended abruptly. The villain was caught but there was still questions left over for the next book to dive into. Plus personally, Peter has much to ponder at the end.
Iām thrilled to find this author and new cosies to read. Definitely a recommendation! Plus great covers!
Meet Peter Tudor. Nurse. Gay. Twenty-nine years old…and living with his disabled mother in the village where he grew up.
Only, it’s not that simple. His mother doesn’t really need his help. Peter’s given up the job he loves to move ‘home’ so now he’s drowning his sorrows in gin and cake. It doesn’t help that his schoolboy crush is still around, working for the police and handsomer than ever.
With the big birthday coming up, it’s time to take action. It’s on with the running shoes and onto the beach … where there is a fabulous sunrise. There’s also a dead body, and a man with a horse.
Westinās Prince is the finale for Jocelynn Drakeās marvelous Shadow Elite series . Itās fitting it goes out on the story for Westin St James , the former marine, former CIA, now member of the mercenary Shadow Elite Unit. Westās been the one quietly in the background, the deadly sniper who can be counted on to have the teamās backs every dangerous moment of their outings. Heās a damaged man, and heās been a mystery until now.
Who knew West could turn into such a favorite for me? A weird assassin contract thatās rejected by Justin and Gabriel is turned over to West by their joint handler because the target and terms are just too āoffā. Somethingās obviously wrong and the situation needs to be at least researched.
Drake creates a island kingdom thatās a supposedly combination of Chinese culture with Japanese influences. Honestly other than a mention that the language was a combination of Mandarin and Japanese languages there was little indication of anything Japanese to reference.
The other major characters are , and quite frankly, very engaging ones too:
š·Jin Long Wei, Dianxia or Your Royal Highness , the target of the heart of the contract
š·Prince Jin Ming Tao, younger brother to the heir.
š·Qin, all around PA, to Long Wei
West lands into a kingdom whoās in love with its royal family, The Jins. Drake lays a good foundation for this, allowing the reader to see the peopleās reactions to their Prince and interact with him as West and Long Wei themselves meet, discuss, and discover a deeper connection between them.
The island, itās peace, and itās Prince represents a powerful hope for West , if only that pesky contract is eliminated first.
The conflict is convincingly escalated, all the great team members and their new partners/husbands appear to help save the Kingdom, the Emperor, and the newly formed couple. Even the retired killer uncles are there, to back up West.
As itās the last, there is betrayals, bloodshed, high suspense, and lots of action to take place along side the romance and relationship drama of acceptance and anxiety over the question of time.
The authorās able to work some of the readers own doubts about their relationship into the discussion process this way and it smoothly turns us into supporters of their romance and this bookās main theme.
The oddity for me remained that āforced meldingā Asian influences when actually there were none. It was a mention and then used later in the story as a reference for the lack of aggressive behaviors in the island because as a nation long overrun by wars, only by cooperation can they succeed. So thatās all they do.
Nice thought for the faux Gaoxing, placed between China ,Japan, and Russia. But as I said I found little cultural aspects here other than Chinese seem to be represented.
The Chinese elements are:
š·Chinese names for the characters, including grandfather, dad, etc.
š·mah-jongg playing aunties
š·The historically accurate headwear and manner in which the royal family should have their hair worn:
ā¦ Xiaoguan-(small guan) headwear worn around the topknot, typically held in place with a hairpin to help stabilize the topknotā
ā¦ Touji-topknot
š·The mythology included, which is definitely Chinese (kitsune is Japanese):
āThe huli jing is just a fox spirit, but after a thousand years of cultivation, it can become a juiwei hu. A nine-tailed fox, which is what the statue is in the old square.ā
The Chinese elements gave Gaoxing a realistic impression and firm vision for its people. The idea of a mixture was immediately lost.
So I throughly enjoyed the romance, the plot, seeing the entire team form up against a common enemy to save one of its own, and finally a rewarding ending for them all.
Thereās a free second epilogue that shouldnāt be missed showing the happy family six years down the road. Itās a heartwarming read and makes this even better.
So really, loved everything but had questions about the world building of Gaoxing.
Definitely recommending it, especially if youāre a fan of the series and author.
Donāt come at this cold. Read the series first in the order that they were written.
The contract on the princeās head was only the beginningā¦
This was supposed to be a quick job.
Pop in. Check out the prince. Alert his security that someone wanted him dead.
Easy.
But a chance meeting in a tea shop left West unable to walk away.
Crown Prince Jin was far too sweet and trusting to be left unattended.
(Not to mention devastatingly handsome and mind-blowingly sexy.)
However, Prince Jin has a dark secret that leads to even bigger problems. West is going to need the entire team for this oneā¦and maybe even those crazy assassins.
Oh God, and a makeover as he goes undercover in the elite world of royalty.
Westinās Prince is the fourth and final full-length novel in the Shadow Elite series and features mercenaries, assassins, royalty, a sassy assistant, conspiracies, danger, insta-swoon, yet another cinnamon roll, a fish out of water who will do anything for his prince, a āfakeā boyfriend but nobody believes them, and love on the run in Asia.
In Book 3 of The ABCās of Spellcraft series by Jordan Castillo Price, Something Stinks at the Spa, our main couple, Dixon and Yuri , are continuing their search for Dixonās magical wayward Uncle Fonzo.
A seemingly focus of chaos wherever he lands, Uncle Fonzo is yet to be revealed as either a villain or a hero. Or something interestingly in between.
Here heās been traced to Spring Falls Hot Spring Spa, so Dixon and Yuri speed over from their last town to see if they can catch him.
Magical hijinks, more couple bonding, and lots of humor follow! Both men continue to grow further into their roles as Scriveners and Seers. Apart and as partners. Each story finds them exploring new possibilities for their magical abilities and the mysteries manage to challenge the pair , strengthening their skills as they finish each event.
Next up, maybe Uncle Fonzo!
Iām recommending this and the highly entertaining series.
The ABCās of Spellcraft series:
ā Quill Me Now #1
ā Trouble in Taco Town #2
ā Something Stinks at the Spa #3
ā¦ Dead Manās Quill #4
ā¦ Last But Not Lease #5
ā¦ Donāt Rock The Boardwalk #6
ā¦ What The Frack? #7
ā¦ Present Tense: A Spellcraft Christmas short #8
Mineral spas are so calm and relaxing…unless they smell like a derriĆØre at a bean-lover’s convention, that is!
Dixon and Yuri have a hot tip that Uncle Fonzo is taking the waters at Spring Falls Hot Spring Spa. Not only is the spring stinky enough to make your eyes waterābut the foul odor reaches peak level just as the resort is gearing up for a visit from an important critic that will make or break its reputation.
Normally, this wouldn’t be Dixonās problem…except that it appears that a piece of his uncle’s Spellcraft might be responsible. He can’t be entirely sure, though, since that particular slip of paper managed to go through the shredder.
Dixon and Yuri pitch in to help the spa’s owner appease a jilted bride, an obnoxious businessman, and the world’s most boring critic while they scramble to reconstruct the shredded Spellcraft. Can they fix the wonky spell before it does any permanent damage? Or will all their efforts at saving the spa end up swirling down the drain?
The ABCs of Spellcraft is a series filled with bad jokes and good magic, where MM Romance meets Paranormal Cozy. A perky hero, a brooding love interest, and delightfully twisty-turny stories that never end up quite where you’d expect. The books are best read in order, so be sure to start at the beginning with Quill Me Now.
Thereās so many books written about paranormal characters that talk to ghosts along with a law enforcement element or partner that helps with solving mysteries/murders thatās it should be its own trope. Itās a marvelously creative framework. Over and over, by various authors, itās been threaded, twisted and tweaked to fit their particular personal narrative takes on this theme to wonderful effect.
Such variety makes it a great thrill to explore new stories in the same lane by new authors when I run across them. Like this one.
Ghostly Awakening (Ghostly Book 1) by E.M. Leya is the first in her new series. Itās a slow burn, paranormal romance that involves murder mysteries and of course, a detective and a man, in this case, a assistant medical examiner, who talks to ghosts.
I enjoyed reading this story. The characters are interesting and layered, with good dialogue and the right balance of quirky family dynamics and vagueness of solid foundation that will allow them to grow in future stories. Unlike other books, these arenāt tragic, haunted men. Instead, both Angus, the detective, and Lance, the assistant ME, are people who have the normal reactions and emotions youād expect from people in their professions and with their experiences.
Except Lance starts to see ghosts. Itās a new thing for him and Iāll leave that part of the story to the book.
The ghosts are great. Leya has created a foundation for them , religious based, and spiritually oriented. FYI Iām not a religious person so this isnāt a sticking issue for me. Heaven or another plain . You decide. I liked her ghosts a lot. Big personalities and small.
The murders, while gruesome, all have already occurred and happen off page. The mystery is solved through ghostly events and hard work.
The romance is molasses slow and the book ends and the relationship is getting started. Everything about this makes me want more. And Iām heading to the next book quickly.
Iām recommending this for all lovers of this genre and fans of the author.
As assistant medical examiner, Lance is used to seeing strange things, but when he suddenly starts seeing ghosts, he worries he’s losing his mind.
Angus grew up around the strange. With his mother able to see and speak to ghosts, he’s grown up knowing there are things most people can’t see or understand. When he accidentally catches Lance arguing with a ghost, he knows he has to step in before the man thinks he’s going crazy.
As Lance adjusts to his new ability, he also realizes seeing ghosts has its advantages. When several women are murdered in the area, it’s up to Lance and Angus to work with the ghosts of the victims to catch the killer.
Perfectly Imperfect Pixie (Perfect Pixie Series Book 1) by M.J. May is a fantastically imaginative story, filled with characters so vivid and beautifully written that you embrace them immediately.
It helps that May, a new author to me, has created a richly detailed and creative universe into which to place these characters. I wanted to know as much about the world and itās unique history as I did about the found family of beings coming together on the pages before me.
A world now run by fairy law, and these are very different fairies than the ones you might have in mind, our tale starts with a highly unusual pixie.
Philodendron, Phil for short, isnāt your normal pixie. While heās beautiful, has pixie dust and glorious wings, heās far from delicate or tiny. Quite the opposite. Heās big, tall in fact. Which makes it hard for him as a home and hearth pixie to get hired. Who wants a ginormous pixie around when it should be someone small, delicately flitting about bonding and cleaning?
The authorās two person POV invites the reader into the heartbreak of Philās current situation and his insecurities, his despair at ever finding a home .
Concurrently, we meet equally desperate werewolf Alpha Sedrick. Uncle to recently orphaned kids, Dillon and Kelsie, heās got the terrifying family of his deceased brotherās wife to contend with. These are children are so well written, hurting and complicated while just being children and werewolves.
Sedrick, has an formidable fairy lawyer, Ray, and wonderful staff of miners, dwarves, and a need for someone, hearth and home pixie to get his house in order and help the grieving children.
Itās a great theme and May uses it as a framework to build a heartfelt bond between children, and Phil, and Sedrick, and all the others in this community. Like Peaches, the garden pixie, Philās best friend, and a bar owning vampire.
Itās simply a marvelous place to spend time in and grand beings to get to know. Plus thereās a evil grandfather to deal with too!
Iām thrilled this is the first one in a series. I was so impressed with how this story ended and wanted to linger on.
Now I can look forward to seeing this world and characters once more.
Iām highly recommending Perfectly Imperfect Pixie (Perfect Pixie Series Book 1) by M.J. May! Check it out now!
Size matters. Pixies are supposed to be petite, beautifully lithe creatures with gossamer wings. Sporting luscious, ombre pink hair and fluttering pink wings, Phil meets two out of three of those criteria. At over six feet tall, no one would dare call Phil petite. As a home-and-hearth pixie, Phil yearns to find a home and family he can bond to. When no oneās willing to hire a pixie of his stature, Phil is forced to find work elsewhere. Turns out, pixies make terrible bouncers.
The sudden death of Sedrickās brother and sister-in-law left Sedrick Voss a pack of oneāplus two young, traumatized were children. Sedrick needs help. He needs a home-and-hearth pixie. But pixies are small, delicate creatures nowhere near sturdy enough to stand up to a couple of growing werewolves. Phil seems like the perfect answerāa pixie that might be able to physically withstand small werewolf teeth and claws.
Phil is overjoyed, finally able to do a job that speaks to his heart and soul. But peace is a hard-won commodity. Sedrick is in the middle of a nasty custody battle with his niece and nephewās maternal grandfatherāone of the most arrogantly deceitful werewolf alphas to ever lead a pack. If their grandfather gets custody, Sedrickās niece and nephew are in for a lifetime of manipulation.
Between the custody battle, noxiously invasive garden gnomes, and fairy lawyers, Phil and Sedrick struggle to keep their home and family safe. Werewolves and pixies donāt mate. Phil and Sedrick are about to challenge that misconception.
Perfectly Imperfect Pixie is a m/m standalone title with a HEA, a rough but kind werewolf, fairy lawyers, vampire bar owners, dwarf miners, questionably intelligent humans, pesky garden gnomes, and charming pixies.
My one issue this sentence.
āDeep, purple bags rested below his tender brown orbsā
ā Perfectly Imperfect Pixie by MJ May
Pls no orbs ever. Otherwise perfectly imperfectly lovely.
Lost and Bound has to be one of my favorites of this series so far. Itās got a horrifying beginning. We get dropped into a nightmare where a character previously thought dead is imprisoned, tortured, and experimented on.
Jared Armitage, a problematic character whoās caused no end of heartbreak and issues for his own family and pack is now close to dying. Heās cognizant that heās made many wrong choices to get where heās is but doesnāt want to die.
I like that Graysonās creation of Jared reflects the fact that Jaredās made enormous mistakes and that he realizes exactly why he made them, the flaws in himself that made his betrayals possible. Jared is such a tortured , damaged soul but his acceptance of his guilt lays the way towards his forgiveness and acceptance.
Calder is a striking figure. From the first dark, fearsome impression of a starving monster to the being that we continue to see grow beyond our understanding, heās such a formidable force. And my favorite.
Watching these two together, as they work through traumatic events, family disputes, and further emotional devastation, well, itās gripping, sexy, and deeply satisfying.
More about these two please because I feel their story is far from over.
Arik and Matt, Ian and Nate make strong appearances here. But the book belongs to Jared and Calder.
Iām highly recommending it. The series too. Read them mostly in order . Skip First Blood. For many reasons.
Kidnapped, imprisoned, and experimented on for two years, Jared Armitage has lost the will to live. When his captors give him to another prisoner, one who can and probably will take Jaredās life, he comes face to face with the most terrifying thing of all: hope.
Calderās warlock captors meant to turn him into a monster, and they nearly succeeded. Starved, desperate, and filled with rage, Calder hasnāt cared about anyone in years. Until Jared. Together they have a chance at escape and Calder has someone to fight and kill for. To cherish. Someone he doesnāt want to hurt.
Life after captivity isnāt easy. Jared never wanted a mate like Calder, but he craves Calderās intense attention, his ability to take Jared apartā¦and then put him back together again. Even if their mate bond is only temporary.
But Calderās made a promiseāone heāll die before he breaksānever to hurt Jared or let him be hurt. Unexpected enemies are lurking, targeting Jared, Calderās one weakness. Their intense bondāand maybe even loveāare worth everything, and they’re both willing to fight for itā¦or die trying.
Lost and Bound contains dubcon and graphic violence. It also includes a monster who torments his mate by being too gentle, the werewolf who canāt stop craving him, and knottingāand a guaranteed HEA. The book has new main characters, but it is best read in series. This series does not contain mpreg.
Adverse Conditions is the first in a new small town mystery romance series by Elle Keaton, a story thatās stacked with elements. Thereās a enemies to lovers trope, returning small town son, multiple murder mysteries, heartwarming family with itās own complicated backstory, bi-coming out, single dad, rescue dogs, conniving ex , and thatās not all.
The small town of Cooper Springs is a focal point too. From the beach to the forests to the bar where all the town hangs out, the preservation of Cooper Springs and how best to save it is front and center. It probably will be a major theme for all the novels.
But as Keatonās packed such a huge amount of elements into this first book, itās no surprise that some feel less polished/finished than others.
The need to lay the foundation for the series is obvious, get the background down. Cooper Springs is beautifully rendered. You can see the small town as it was. And as it is now. The ramshackle resort absolutely in need of renovation that a new owner could supply and the revenue it could bring in that the town is counting on, along with the beautiful location. Also the long term familiarity of Cooper Springsā citizenry feels believable, whether they are on good terms or bad.
Next up, the romance. Vincent Barone is a single dad to daughter Romy, herself a delightful character. Heās holding down two jobs, heās a shop teacher at the High School, and a part time Real-Estate Appraiser, which brings him clashing back into his old high school nemesis, Xavier, recently returned to town, as a real estate agent. Vincent is a terrific character, stressed out by bills, his jobs, life, and wanting to be the best dad to a great kid. Heās relatable in all his irritable moments.
Xavier could use some more of that depth. It helps base him when we meet Xavierās mother and brother Max. But Vincent still feels grounded in a way Xavier doesnāt. They have a old sexual tension thatās dealt with a little too quickly but the relationship is a emotional, thoughtful one.
Thereās a ex here (Xavierās) that appears and disappears for no reason to be annoying unless heās going to be a part of a storyline further down the series. Now heās a dropped element, one of several that arenāt fully developed for reasons other than perhaps they are part of a larger arc theme. They include the murders, missing wives, and why anyone would want an aggressive antisocial man with known anti development views to be a long term rental resident of a property up for sale. That last sounds more like a authorās needing a dramatic narrative item than something realistic.
Letās see.
āWe need to sell this property. Letās have an aggressive nutcase with a baseball bat live there and challenge everyone who wants to sell it with threats and promises of bodily harm.ā
Um no. And no one does anything about it.
Plus thereās the fact that a person thatās been missing for a while (dead) and no one has been able to find can be found easily.
So I find elements like this problematic.
I realize that murder plots and mysteries here seem to be intended to play out over the series but either we need more mystery or more substance or subtly or something.
The ending comes abruptly, moving Vincent and Xavierās relationship forward that we miss out on the growth moments. The parts that bring all three, four counting the dog, together as a family.
So while I feel that the story has some wonderfully interesting elements, really promising moments between all parties , and a couple and family I enjoyed, Iām not sure it all came cohesively together in one first book of a series.
The next book is a different couple altogether. Which is odd when this one didnāt feel complete.
Iāll continue on to see how it all flows into the next episode. And what the author intends for the mysteries.
If youāre a fan of Elle Keaton, and contemporary mystery romance, Iām sure that you have already put this on your TBR list. For the rest, itās a entertaining read.
The town is worth saving, as long as conspiracy theorists, serial killers, and Vincent Barone all stay out of Xavierās way.
Xavier swore heād never move back to the flyspeck of a town heād grown up in and he kept that promise for over twenty years. Now he’s back for good.
Vincent never left. After earning his teaching certificate, he stayed in town to be close to his elderly parents. These days heās the single dad of a fifteen-year-old daughter and working two jobs to make ends meet. He’s perfectly happy with his life.
Xavier’s mission is to save Cooper Springs. But his efforts are being hindered by his stodgy, straight-laced, rule-following neighbor, Vincent Barone. Dark-eyed, broad-shouldered, and muscly Vincent, who Xav stealthily ogles when he toils in his yard sans shirt. For a high school shop teacher, Vincent is too sexy. And he has a kid. And he infuriates Xavier. And anyway, love is for suckers.
Vincent doesn’t have time to date. And he certainly wouldnāt date his flashy, arrogant, neighbor who he absolutely did not have a crush on in high school. Who did Xavier think he was, moving back to town and throwing his weight around, causing butterflies in Vincent’s stomach, and making his stupid heart beat faster every time he saw him?
Cooper Springs has changed since they were kids, and maybe two guys can move from hate to love. But are they ready? Will Vincent bend a few of his rules? Will Xavier reign in his chaotic tendencies? Is love in the air?
Then thereās the matter of the grisly discovery in the woods, murder is bad for business.
Welcome to Cooper Springs, home to UFO chasers, Sasquatch believers, conspiracy theorists, chainsaw artists, and regular folk just trying to make a living. And, quite possibly, a killer.
Adverse Conditions is the first in the Reclaimed Hearts series, set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, it is an opposites-attract, older lovers, silver fox, enemies to lovers, small-town romance, with a little murder. HEA guaranteed.
Beyond The Veil series continues itās excellent journey into the macabre and magical with The Bones in The Yard. KM Averyās series is slightly divided into sections of three, each focusing on a specific main character and couple.
The Bones in The Yard is the second of the group of stories about the elf detective, Valentine āValā Hart. Val, now private investigator with Beyond the Veil , a firm owned by Mason and Ward , a orc witch and human warlock who deal in all things magical, arcane and the dead.
Averyās book picks up after the events in The Dog In The Alley, the story that introduces Val to Taavi Camal, Xoloitzcuintli shifter who is a rare born Arcanid. Taavi, in a fascinating twist, spent much of that story and their time together in his dog form (through trauma) , which prompts a lot of mixed emotions and deep questioning from Val over how to deal with Taavi on different levels. Itās a great element and one whose impact continues through to this story.
Avery has ,through five books, demonstrated an exemplary ability to craft believable traumatized characters, ones so complex and compelling that we can understand all the layers of denial they are putting between them and the reality of their existence. These are brutal books, dealing with death through evil, horrific acts. Some from past history that Avery brings tragically, furiously to life through the ghosts Ward talks to. Others through the vicious, ruthless events of modern life, from the magical world or against it.
The Bones In The Yard attacks the seemingly unflappable elf on every level. Avery uses this book to narratively open up Val emotionally, flay him for his own introspection about his life, and the shifter heās not sure how to love. The same shifter whoās trying to get Val to see that Val is showing all the signs of some who has PTSD. Which Val does. Most of the beings here are under constant threat of violence or have been physically / mentally/ magically assaulted. Or been somehow effected by it. Itās a very harsh reality.
The shifter, Taavi Camal, a Xoloitzcuintli dog (among those commonly known as Mexican hairless) , has been recently injured and Arcanids are being ritually murdered, another scary fact for him and Val.
Avery layers on fascinating Maya and Incan mythology to go with terrifying discoveries and murders. All the marvelous found family of the Beyond the Veil is highly visible and involved as well as Valās best friend from Wisconsin.
Elliot is important because a huge
part of Valās identity is his Wisconsin family and heritage. Heās still that nondescript , 5ā7ā brown haired boy that no one wanted to date. The one that likes his baked goods and family before the Arcanavirus changed him into a 6ā2ā, gorgeous elf with long silver hair that continues to grow. Thereās a constant struggle between the being heās become , how heās now perceived as this luminous beauty and the real person heās inside. Again, a great element of this story and series. The new beings created , the ones that survived, by the Arcanavirus and societyās response to them.
Avery is constantly expanding this universe, coming back to the original threads which made it so imaginative. Here Taavi is a rare born Arcanid, instead of someone changed. Heās never been anything else, with implications for that. He doesnāt understand what itās like to be human.
Iāve been distressed, constantly amazed, frustrated, appreciative, totally invested and always looking forward to the next chapter in the lives of the beings here.
Iām highly recommending this book but this is a series that must be read in order for the reader to understand the characters, the events that happened to them.
Beyond The Veil :
The Ghost In The Hall #1
The Boy In The Locked Room #2*
The Skeleton Under The Stairs #3
The Dog In The Alley #4
The Bones In The Yard #5
ā¢ Pls read reviews and trigger warnings about book 2 and Chapter 19, a chapter which deals in a sexual assault.
I know. Whoād have thought that a jaded ex-cop elf would have problems with emotional commitment and self-esteem?
Yeah, me, too.
Iām trying to work on that. Iāve also got a new job, new boss, and a pile of bones Iām trying to identify while not stepping on too many official police-business toes. To top things off, it looks like the Antiquus Ordo Arcanum arenāt the only murdering cult making my life a living hell.
Iām in the middle of a battleground between not one, but two cults and a group of people who think that witches, warlocks, and people like Ward and me shouldnāt exist. And as if that werenāt enough, Iām struggling to find time to work on self-improvement and maybe manage to go on a date or two in the mean time with a certain shifter who is just way too adorable for words.
Iām pretty sure heās going to dump my ass. But I really, really, really hope he doesnāt. At least not before I can solve these murders and get my life a little more together than it currently isnāt.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 