A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer (A SCYTHE Mystery) by Maxie Dara

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer (A SCYTHE Mystery)
by Maxie Dara
October 1, 2024
Genre: Humorous Fantasy, Women Sleuths
Murder is (literally) not her department, but this grim reaper has to solve one—fast—or her new client won't be able to move on.

Kathy Valence is forty-two, mid-divorce, and pregnant with her ex's baby. She's also a modern-day grim reaper employed by S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), but frankly that's the easiest part of her life right now. Or at least it was, until her latest client's soul goes missing.

When she finally tracks down seventeen-year-old Conner Ortiz, he angrily denies he died of natural causes, despite what his file says. He insists that someone at S.C.Y.T.H.E. murdered him, and he demands Kathy find out who and why.

Kathy has only forty-five days to figure out what happened to Conner and help him move on before the boy's soul is doomed to roam the Earth as a ghost forever. She’s forced to rely on the help of her retired mentor, her almost ex-husband—and some sneaky moves by Conner himself. This is the wildest case of her career. . .and one wrong move could cost Kathy her job, not to mention her life.

“This debut paranormal mystery offers humor, love, and a strong cast of characters who form a found family. S.Y.T.H.E. is a fascinating premise that offers great possibilities for future mysteries.”—Library Journal, Starred Review

“Fun and lighthearted despite the presence of death, the characters are relatable and funny, and the paranormal aspects are balanced with the ordinariness of Kathy’s messy life.”—Booklist

"Come for the mystery, stay for the punched-up pairing. This new series is one to watch.”—Kirkus Reviews

“I’d follow this grim reaper anywhere. Wildly creative and impossible to put down, sure to induce both belly laughs and tears, A Grim Reaper's Guide To Catching A Killer is full of heart and soul(s).”—Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance

About the Author:
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Maxie Dara is a writer and actor from Ontario, Canada. She has been a freelance journalist focusing on the local arts and culture scene for more than five years, with bylines in publications such as Hamilton Magazine and Beyond James, among others. She is also a two-time award-winning playwright, taking home the Best of Fringe award at the 2017 Hamilton Fringe Festival for the musical comedy This Is Not a Musical: The Musical! and the 2020 Torpedo Prize for her play Alone Together, a pandemic drama. Maxie knew she wanted to be a writer at the age of seven, when she first fell in love with the written word. She also wanted to be a mermaid but has mostly focused on the writing side of things.

Book Review: Hollow Beasts (Jodi Luna Book 1) by Alisa Lynn Valdés

Hollow Beasts (Jodi Luna Book 1)
by Alisa Lynn Valdés
April 1, 2023
ASIN: B09XTQS1GY 

ISBN: ‎9781662507168

Genre: 
After a long stint in academia, Jodi Luna leaves Boston for the wilds of New Mexico to start a new life as a game warden. Jodi is no stranger to the wilderness; her family has lived here for generations. Determined to protect her homeland, she nabs a poacher in her first week on the job.

But when he retaliates by stalking Jodi and her teenage daughter, a cat and mouse game leads Jodi to a white supremacist group deep in the mountains. She learns that new recruits are kidnapping women of color to prove their mettle to the organization’s leader.

When the local sheriff refuses to assist, Jodi joins up with young deputy Ashley Romero. Together, they set out to take down a terrorist network that will test not just their skills as investigators but also their knowledge of the land and commitment to its people.

But will Jodi’s fierce resolve to protect the voiceless put her loved ones in harm’s way?

Amazon

Jodi Luna taught in academia in Boston, but after her husband’s death, she returned home to apply and take over he retired uncle's job as a game warden in New Mexico. Her first week has her capturing a poacher. But he is a member of a white supremacist group camping deep in the mountains, kidnapping young Mexican women and even some American women. Their leader is a crazy old man. Meanwhile, Jody meets and teams up with a young female deputy, Ashley Romero.

There is a little more than needed to be in this book, but the female heroine and the other women are interesting and the storyline was enough to keep me interested. If you like thrillers, bad guys, strong women, and more, you will enjoy this book. A great read while on vacation at the beach or even more so, in the mountains or camping!

I gave Hollow Beasts 4 Sheep

Reviewed by Pamela K. Kinney

About the Author:

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Alisa Lynn Valdés is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist and a former staff writer for both the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe. With more than one million books in print in eleven languages, she was included on Time’s list of the twenty-five most influential Hispanics and was a Latina woman of the year as well as an Entertainment Weekly breakout literary star. She is the author of many novels, including Playing with Boys and The Husband Habit. Alisa divides her time between New Mexico and Los Angeles.

Book Review: A Hard Day for a Hangover (Sunshine Vicram Series - Book 3) by Darynda Jones

A Hard Day for a Hangover (Sunshine Vicram Series - Book 3)
by Darynda Jones
Dec 6. 2022
Pages: 352
A Hard Day for a Hangover is another humorous installment in Darynda Jones's wine mystery series deemed: "Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun." —New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to singlehandedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder—the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him—and Sunshine—for good.

Like we said, the new day can take a hike.

The blockbuster conclusion to the bestselling Sunshine Vicram trilogy, A Hard Day for a Hangover will have readers laughing and cheering to the very last page.

Amazon

Women have started going missing and Sheriff Sunshine Vicram is trying to put the pieces together while also keeping her daughter out of the investigation. But as much as Sunny tries, her daughter Auri is a chip off the old block and just can’t let a mystery go. Then theirs is Levi Ravinder who is hardheaded, stubborn, fierce, and would stop at nothing to protect those he loves.

Sunny and Levi are drawn to each other but tend to let misunderstandings get in their way. Auri is bright and falling head over heels for Cruz who now lives with Quince after his father passed away. Let’s not forget the mysterious town group who is secretly in charge of everything and definitely makes Sunny’s head spin. This is an excellent end to a fantastic series that we can hope Darynda might decide to do a little spin-off of this series because there is still stories to be told for each of the supporting characters as well as a few of the main ones.

One of my favorite things about Darynda’s books is the chapter headings. They will leave you giggling and probably wanting to borrow a few of them since they are so highly relatable and hilarious. Her books are so easy to read and the storylines flow that it’s so hard to put down until the last page.


Review: A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram Series - Book 1)
Review: A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram Series - Book 2)

Getting 5 sheep

Denise B

About the Author:
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NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Book Review: The Scarlet Thread (Gaslamp Gothic #7) by Kat Ross

The Scarlet Thread (Gaslamp Gothic #7)
by Kat Ross

June 24, 2022

Sherlock Holmes meets The X-Files in this Gilded Age paranormal mystery series readers call "page-turning," "stay-up-all-night," "witty, smart, and a little sexy."

Bloody Mary Worth.

Say her name thirteen times in a mirror and you might see the face of your future husband.

Or, less happily, your own shrieking demise.

December 1889. When society girls start dropping like flies at the start of the Winter Ball Season, Harrison Fearing Pell lands her first juicy case since she was suspended from the Society for Psychical Research. And the prime suspect is the very same client who landed her in the soup last time—criminal prodigy and all-around nuisance James Moran.

The victims appear to have been scared to death. But is the real culprit the ghost of a vengeful dead girl—or something even worse? As Harry digs deeper into Mary’s unsolved murder thirty years before, the icy hand of the past reaches into the present. What is the significance of the scarlet thread wound around the victims’ fingers? Is there a connection to the mesmerism fad sweeping New York? And if he’s innocent, why is James still such an insufferable bastard?

Moran’s connections to the city’s seedy underworld might be the key to untangling the mystery—assuming Harry can find the answer before she ends up killing him herself.

Amazon

Gaslamp Gothic is an enchanting series featuring shifting points of view. Described by Ross as a “loose collection” these books tackle similar themes, interwoven stories, and intersecting characters. Readers have been gifted a full cast of rich characters and imaginative tales throughout the series. The Scarlet Thread marks the return of paranormal investigator Harrison “Harry” Pell and her loyal partner and companion John Weston. Together the pair attempt to explain the seemingly unexplainable in late 1880s New York City. In The Scarlet Thread, Harry is called upon to solve the seeming serial murders of a tight group of young debutantes. Before long, Harry and John realize they aren’t chasing a human suspect, but the horrific and mythical entity known as Bloody Mary.

As a child, the Bloody Mary tale terrified me. Being in a dark room with a mirror was out of the question. I even begged my dad to remove a mirror in my room as I wholeheartedly believed Bloody Mary reached through the glass and pulled my hair while a slept. When I discovered Mary was the subject of the newest installment in one of my favourite series, curiosity and enthusiasm won out over irrational childhood fear. My bravery was rewarded.

In this installment, Ross characteristically delivers an enthralling, entertaining and charming story. The suspense and action are engaging and the relationship and character building ever so satisfying. Ross paints a rich picture of New York in a bygone era. Her characters are immensely likeable, even the unscrupulous James Moran. Harry is a heroine of a time long past, but very much suitable for the 21st century. She’s fiercely independent, honorable, and charming. She’s determined to forge a path of adventure and enlightenment but isn’t afraid to seek help and friendship along the way.

Kat Ross is a must-read author and Gaslamp Gothic is not to be missed. The next installment will also feature Harry and John and they research the beast of Loch Ness. I anxiously anticipate this next installment. I highly recommend another Ross series, Lingua Magika. The uniquely fascinating sci-fi western trilogy wrapped earlier this year.

Five Sheep

Bianca Greenwood

 

About the Author:

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Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the Fourth Element and Fourth Talisman fantasy series, the Gaslamp Gothic paranormal mysteries, and the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Check out Kat’s Pinterest page for the people, places and things that inspire her books.

Spotlight Pushing Up Posies (Guerrilla Grannies Book 2) by Jo Michaels

Pushing Up Posies (Guerrilla Grannies Book 2)
by Jo Michaels
February 20th, 2020
Genre: Women Sleuth
Editor: Tia Silverthorne Bach with INDIE Books Gone Wild
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
Your favorite dirty grannies are at it again!

Monty, Minerva’s dead husband, is alive—yeah, she nearly peed her pants when she discovered that—and turns out, he’s running from several dangerous people. Unfortunately, he underestimated a woman’s fury when scorned.

The CDC has ordered the women into action: bring Monty in and hand him over. ASAP.

Minerva may have other plans…

It’s another crazy, fun-filled adventure with the grannies, and their shenanigans have just begun.

Grey is the New Black

Pushing Up Posies

About the Author:

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Jo Michaels loves writing novels that make readers gasp in horror, surprise, and disbelief. While her browser search history has probably landed her on a list somewhere, she still dives into every plot with gusto, hoping "the man" will realize she's a writer and not a psychopath about to go on a rampage. Her favorite pastimes are reading, watching Investigation Discovery, and helping other authors realize their true potential through mentoring. She's penned the award-winning Pen Pals and Serial Killers series and the best-selling educational book for children, Writing Prompts for Kids, which has rocketed the kids that use it into several awards of their own.

Most of Jo's books feature the places she's lived: Louisiana, Tennessee, and Georgia. That's given her a special amount of insight to what makes those locations tick. Her works are immersive and twisty, and she wouldn't want it any other way.