Review: Nobody Panic! by C.J. Vick

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Nobody Panic!Nobody Panic! by C.J. Vick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

In the Summer of 1986, moths inundated the town of Somerville, and Janet was strong-armed by her BFF Maggie into joining the PTA. Two wild occurrences.

Janet has an overriding misfit reputation that’s plagued her since high school, but Maggie’s support and good humor is enough to drag her out of the house for one night. With her slightly melted deviled eggs in tow, the ladies make their way to the meeting.

Unfortunately, most of the other members are just as awful as Janet remembers, and she clearly sticks out like a sore thumb. What’s also noticeable is the absence of Sue, the best bundt cake maker known to man.

The next day, Sue’s body is discovered, the first in what becomes a series of missing housewives. The official story isn’t adding up. Janet’s encyclopedic knowledge of true crime assures her of that.

When Maggie is the next to go missing, Janet is convinced something malevolent is sweeping through Somerville.

Pairing up with two other misfit moms, and the coroner’s apprentice, who had a big ole’ crush on Janet in high school, Janet starts investigating and what she uncovers goes way deeper than Sue’s murder, and a few missing PTA members.

It appears Somerville has been harboring a dark secret spanning back generations. In order to stop this plague on the town, it appears that Janet will need to confront the demons in her own home first. If she fails, she risks losing herself and all she loves forever to the darkness.

After reading the synopsis for Nobody Panic!, I knew this was a story I wanted to pick up right away. It sounded pure 80s, like one of the fun chaotic and campy Horror stories that I was raised on, and it didn’t disappoint.

This is such a fun read. It’s campy in all the right ways. It’s almost innocent in a way, Janet’s personality and the way the drama unfolds, it so pure and good.

The plot was dripping with 80s-nostalgia and Satanic Panic. Vick definitely delivered all the vibes I was hoping for when I went into it.

The only very slight critique I would give is that in the later half, when action really began to pick up, it was hard for me to stay focused, or really picture in my mind, all of what was going on. It had moments where it was almost too chaotic, if that makes sense.

However, this is probably more of a me problem than the book. I mention it only because it did have a slight effect on my experience, as I had to read certain sections a couple of times in order to track what was going on.

Focusing on the numerous positives though, Vick knocked the tone and humor of 80s-Horror out of the park. The chapters were also each titled after 80s-songs, which was so fun. I would love a complete playlist. It would be amazing.

I would definitely recommend this to people who love campy Horror, or books with heavy 80s vibes. Also, definitely recommend for fans of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. The two could be cousins.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know this doesn’t release for a long time yet, but I couldn’t resist picking it up to kick off my Spooky Season.

Also, if this is a debut from C.J. Vick, I think we’re going to have a long and beautiful relationship. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!!!

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Review: As the Snow Gathers by Mere Joyce

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As the Snow GathersAs the Snow Gathers by Mere Joyce
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As the Snow Gathers was such a hugely-anticipated 2026-release for me. Sadly, I walked away disappointed.

Ah well, we can’t win them all.

This is a historical novel set in the village of Aplin Shade, deep in the remote corners of the Canadian wilderness. We follow Dominic, a native of Aplin Shade, and Lex, his boyfriend, who works at the logging camp near town.

As a young adult, Dominic is now the head of his family. His father was killed in a carriage accident, and his sister, who suffered head trauma in the accident, will never make a full recovery. She’s never been the same. Thus, Dom is left to provide for his mother and his sister on his own.

Life is not easy in Aplin Shade, and Dom and Lex have dreams of moving somewhere less bleak, buying a farm and taking Dom’s family with them.

The odds are stacked against them though, as even their love for one another must be kept a secret. They also both have enemies in the town, and outside of town dangerous beings known as the Fanteur, lurk in the woods.

The Fanteur are known to steal the bodies of the dead of Aplin Shade, only to return them later, drained of blood. They’ve never been known to take the living. Until now. Now something has changed, but the townsfolk have to clue as to what it could be.

It seems the Fanteur are on the attack, and no one is safe, particularly the men of the logging camp, entering the forest to cut down the trees.

We follow Dom and Lex as they fight to survive, and try to make their dreams come true. With dangers around every corner, both human and not, will that ever be possible?

Y’all, I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this one. In the opening bits, the first 10%, I was definitely intrigued. I liked the cold, unforgiving atmosphere that Joyce was bringing to the page.

By 30%, I was scratching my head. There was a lot of romance happening, which fine, but not what I signed up for. I was losing the intensity of the atmosphere to the intensity of the feelings between Lex and Dom. Again, fine, but where was the atmosphere? Where was the Horror?

By 48%, I was almost ready to give up. Nothing was happening. Every page felt so slow, just crawling along in detail. I think a lot of it for me was that I found Dom boring. Just as a character in general, I couldn’t care less about him.

No offense, Dom.

Additionally, the Fanteur as the big bad was equally disappointing. I just wasn’t feeling it. I probably should have DNFed, but I just kept waiting for the stuff to hit the fan.

There is a couple of scenes, where we did get action and in those moments I did like Joyce’s more gorier descriptions. I think she did well in that area. I just needed 89% more of it to pull this out of the 2-star read territory.

I think at the end of the day, it just wasn’t the right fit for my tastes. It felt like the longest 368-page book I’ve ever read. For me, the romantic relationship overshadowed everything else, and that’s not what I wanted.

I know there’s gonna be a huge readership for this novel, but I’m just not part of it. I’m happy I gave it a shot, but am disappointed it didn’t work out differently.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I never write an author off after just one book, so look forward to seeing what Mere Joyce comes up with next.

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Review: The Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury

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The MoorwitchThe Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Moorwitch follows a witch named Rose, who as a young girl was forced to strike a sinister bargain with a fae in order to escape her abusive home. A decade later, that fae is back and ready to demand his side of the deal repaid.

She’s tasked with discovering the gateway to the realm of the faerie. If she does, her dwindling magic will be restored and she’ll be freed from her fae handler once and for all.

Knowing the approximate area of the gateway, Rose ends up going undercover as a governess at a crumbling Scottish estate. While it would be best if she kept her head down and just set to the task at hand, Rose can’t help but become emotionally invested in her young charge.

She also can’t deny the budding attraction she feels towards the laird of the estate, Conrad. It’s his adventurous sister she is now responsible for, and as time passes, she becomes more and more invested in their small family.

It seems it’s not just Rose’s magic and freedom at stake, but now also her heart. Will the witch be able to focus enough to complete her mission in time, or will she end up losing her magic forever? The clock is ticking.

The Moorwitch definitely took me by surprise. I received an Audio ARC last year, but had been very intimidated to pick it up. I do not read a lot of Fantasy, and the 15.5-hour audibook length scared me, not gonna lie. I was worried it would take me forever to get through.

I was wrong to be worried. I was pulled in from the very start. The writing was great, as were the characters. I loved Rose as an MC and also thought that the narration by Elizabeth Knowelden was perfect for her character.

The set-up was very well done and easy to understand. I also liked how quickly Khoury got to the point, and got Rose to where she needed to be.

The chemistry between Rose and Conrad was so good. They were so annoyed with each other and it had me giggling and kicking my feet. Speaking of the chemistry though, I also really appreciated that this is clean. There’s zero steam.

In a world of Fairy Smut, it’s nice to focus on an actual plot.

At the end of the day, I thought this was a delightful read. I’m so glad I finally shook off the nerves and just went for it. It was so much fun.

Thank you to the publisher, Brillance Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m only sorry I kicked it around for so long before picking it up. I’d love to read more from Jessica Khoury!

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Review: Dead Girls Tell No Tales by Carissa Ann Lynch

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Dead Girls Tell No TalesDead Girls Tell No Tales by Carissa Ann Lynch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Dead Girls Tell No Tales follows a downtrodden Fantasy author, Adriana McMahon, who after some life issues, moves back in with her Mom in her small Indiana hometown.

Adriana, struggling with writer’s block, is running out of money quick. At this point, she’s worried her publisher is going to show up, demanding her advance back. It’s dire times at the McMahon house.

Desperate to make ends meet, Adriana gets a job at a local shop. It’s there that she meets 17-year old, Rebel James, a high school girl with a love of creative writing.

Rebel is noticeably an outcast amongst her peers. She’s in need of a friend, or any sort of adult figure in her life, frankly. When she approaches Adriana about helping her with a writing project, Adriana’s hesitant, but she also sees glimmers of herself in Rebel, and does want to help.

She ends accepting Rebel’s request, and becomes a bit of a mentor to the teen. When Rebel suddenly disappears, and bodies of dead girls begin being found in the local area, Adriana becomes desperate to find out if her friend is okay, something no one else seems to understand.

Making matters more upsetting, it seems the murders are mirroring some of Rebel’s stories. Was Rebel trying to tell Adriana something through her writing?

Additionally, it all seems oddly-connected to Adriana’s own past, stirring up buried memories of her best friend she lost years before. The entire affair puts Adriana in a tailspin, making her logic and reasoning hard for others to follow.

Her Mom thinks she’s lost it, as do the local authorities, who are watching her closely because of her arguably erratic behavior. But Adriana knows something dark is going on in this town, and she’s gonna get to the bottom of it come hell or high water.

Dead Girls Tell No Tales is a true Popcorn Thriller. I could totally imagine this playing out as a Lifetime movie, and I don’t mean that in a bad way.

It kept me invested the whole way through. It did take me a few minutes to get used to Adriana’s narrative voice. She’s a quirky one, but after I just accepted the fact it is who she is, I started to really enjoy it.

I think part of it is related to the personal tragedies she suffered as teen. I feel like she got sort of stunted in that part of her growth, so at times, you think, how old is this woman? But honestly, in relation to everything going on, it does make sense.

I wouldn’t say there’s anything ground-breaking about the plot, but it was still entertaining and a fun weekend read. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

I think The Bachelorette Party is still my favorite from this author, but this would be a close second. It reminded me a lot of Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush, and I did enjoy this one more.

I would recommend this to Readers of Popcorn Thrillers. If you’re looking for something quick and suspenseful, that won’t require you to burn down all your brain power during the reading process, this could be the book for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a great time.

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Review: The Whitechapel Full Moon Society by Elizabeth DeLozier

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The Whitechapel Full Moon SocietyThe Whitechapel Full Moon Society by Elizabeth DeLozier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Whitechapel Full Moon Society follows Caroline Foster as she travels to London in search of her brother, Charlie. Caroline grew up in a wealthy family, but unfortunately that family unit has crumbled to nothing.

After the recent death of her father, Caroline has been left alone and the family estate sold off. Caroline’s deepest connection in the world now is with Charlie, who she’s only spent sporadic time with over the course of her life.

Following clues from his correspondence, Caroline ends up at the Whitechapel Full Moon Society, a dilapidated building currently serving as a gentleman’s boarding house.

After an appeal to the landlady, Caroline, under slightly false pretenses, is hired on as the Full Moon’s maid in exchange for room and board. She’s hoping locating Charlie after this will be easy, but we all know, nothing is ever easy.

There are very strict rules at the Full Moon, at least for Caroline. She’s not to ask the residents personal questions, or to enter the iron-barred room on the second-floor, and oh yeah, she must remain locked in her bedroom from sundown to sunup on full moon nights.

Even though to most of us, these rules may be suspicious as heck, it doesn’t phase Caroline in the slightest. When she finds no signs of Charlie though, and when she finds out that the previous maid was brutally murdered, she starts to suspect the Full Moon may be more than your average boarding house.

This novel is set in Victorian London during the time of the Jack the Ripper slayings, and those historical crimes, as well as the corresponding fear that permeated the city, play a large role in this story.

I loved the inclusion of that, and how the author wove in those historical elements, it made the story feel that much more realistic. The atmosphere was oozing off the page, and as an atmosphere girlie, that was something I truly appreciated. I could picture everything perfectly.

I was actually surprised how immersed I became in this novel. This is far from my typical read, but I was swept up into it. She’s a slow burn, it’s true, but just such an enjoyable read nevertheless.

DeLozier’s writing is very pleasing and engaging. It’s straight-forward and accessible for Readers who don’t read a lot of historical fiction, like myself. I was drawn to this because of the cover and the inclusion of the Jack the Ripper slayings, but ended up really impressed by the full package.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’d definitely be interested in pick up DeLozier’s future works!

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Review: When She Escaped by Jenifer Ruff

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When She EscapedWhen She Escaped by Jenifer Ruff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When She Escaped follows bestselling novelist, Zipporah Bazile, as she arrives at the luxurious Raven’s Hollow Lodge, hoping the secluded and relaxing environment will help her write her next Psychological Thriller.

Early on in her stay, she ends up making a romantic connection though, which wasn’t part of her initial plan, and she does spend most of her free time with this man.

Unfortunately, the romance isn’t the strangest thing to happen to her during her stay. She also feels like someone is following her, digging into her life and putting mysterious powders into her drinks?

Hold on, Zip, that’s escalation! But it’s true and before long she starts feeling like she could actually really be in danger. She suspects her romantic interest, but has no proof, and it he seems so genuine. She’s unsure who she can trust and starts on a bit of an emotional spiral.

In addition to what’s going on with Zip in her current situation, we also get excerpts from the novel she’s writing. It’s an intense story about about a young woman held against her will in a basement of a remote cabin.

As the lines between fact and fiction start to blur, Zip needs to figure out what’s going on at Raven’s Hollow Lodge and how she can escape unscathed.

When She Escaped had an interesting set-up, and I devoured it once I started, but somehow, I walked away underwhelmed. I did find the sections of her novel off-putting. They just pulled me out of the plot every time and threw off the pace.

I understand the author’s choice in including them, but for me, it just sort of missed the mark. There were other things that I wasn’t crazy about as well, but I can’t get into them without spoiling major plot points, which we’re not here for.

I will say it took a sharp turn at the mid-way point, and that’s where my enjoyment level really dropped. It was something else, but yeah, I didn’t see it coming. I just don’t think the second half was as exciting, or fun, for me as the beginning, so a bit of a mixed bag, unfortunately.

With this being said, just because it didn’t knock me out of the park, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you think it sounds interesting, give it a whirl. You could end up finding a new favorite.

Thank you to the publisher, Greyt Companion Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I never write and author off after only one try, and would be interested in picking up more from Jenifer Ruff in the future.

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Review: And the Sea Gave Up the Dead by William Friend

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And the Sea Gave Up the DeadAnd the Sea Gave Up the Dead by William Friend
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And the Sea Gave Up the Dead follows a woman, Morwenna, and her family, as they travel to France to visit her Aunt Bethan on holiday.

Morwenna has been putting off visiting Aunt Bethan for way too long, and she’s starting to feel really guilty about it. Her aging Aunt just seems to be wasting away in the family chateau by the French seaside. Ever since her Uncle mysteriously disappeared, Bethan has lost her spark.

Packing up her new husband, Christian, and two sons, Jamie and Louis, the family heads out. It’ll be good for them, and it’ll be good for Morwenna to get eyes on Bethan, to assess her mental and physical health.

We follow the family as they arrive at the chateau and the boys get to meet their eccentric Great Aunt and tour the property. From the very start, Friend does an incredible job building up the atmosphere and uncertainty at this chateau.

Morwenna is an interesting character. She’s had a lot of personal loss, and she also had a difficult time helping her own Mom through dementia. Because of that, she’s extra sensitive to Bethan’s every move, which is relatable.

This fact though also makes you wonder how much you can trust Morwenna’s perspective. Is she overly sensitive? Is she seeing issues where there aren’t any?

I liked that. Unreliable narrators are something I do tend to enjoy, and though I wouldn’t classify her as a full-on unreliable narrator, there’s an air about her, that makes your mind go, really, Morwenna? Are you sure?

I also loved how Friend kept me guessing. As I was reading, I had no idea what direction we were heading in. Was it a haunted house, or maybe a possession situation?

In a way, Friend’s writing feels heavy. There’s an ominous feeling drenching every moment. In addition to Morwenna’s perspective, we also get the perspectives of her two young sons, Jamie and Louis. I thought Friend did a fantastic job showing the fear these boys experienced in this house.

The descriptions, and their thought-processes through these nail-biting moments, felt so realistic to me. Even though there is a lot of creepiness in this story however, you do need to have patience with it, not gonna lie.

At times it felt like it was taking forever to get anywhere, but at the same time, I was really eating up the building suspense and unpredictability.

As the conclusion approached, I actually felt fear for this family. I feel like because we’d taken our time getting there, I felt like I knew them, and I did start to care for them. Especially the boys.

This is one of those books where my first thoughts upon completion was, what the frick did I just read? My brain hurt (in a good way). That last 20%, what in actual…

I really liked it though. It was unexpected. There was so much going on, and all the moving pieces, I felt like Friend was pulling off some major slight of hand. I’d be looking one way, and something would happen just outside my peripheral vision to knock me off-center.

It was unsettling, and I think I’m going to be scratching my head about this conclusion for quite some time to come. I would recommend this for Horror Readers who don’t mind a slow burn, and who love an unsettling atmosphere.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. A fantastic Sophomore Showing from William Friend.

I look forward to more!

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Review: Dark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce

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Dark Is When the Devil ComesDark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Dark Is When the Devil Comes is a story of estranged sisters, Hazel and Cathy. The two had a falling out years ago over an incident that occurred at Hazel’s wedding.

Years later, and recently divorced, Hazel returns to her small hometown of Idless, in the English countryside, to lick her wounds and hopefully recover.

Her parents are heading out on a 5-week holiday, so she offers to stay at theirs and sit for her Mom’s beloved Persian cats. It feels strange, but it is home and she can think of no better place to hide out and get her life back in order.

Cathy has mixed feelings about Hazel’s return, but agrees to meet up with her. Perhaps reconciliation is possible. But on the day they’ve selected to meet, Hazel doesn’t show.

Though Cathy didn’t expect everything to be glossed over right away, she certainly didn’t expect Hazel to ghost her. If she’s honest about it though, that type of behavior is out of character for Hazel. Something is off.

Along with another local woman, Suzi, who was childhood friends with Hazel, Cathy begins a relentless search for her sister. Even though they haven’t been close in recent years, she’s still family and Cathy cannot give up on her.

The desperation is palpable.

I’m a huge Daisy Pearce fan. What can I say? This was so freaking fun for me, made all the more compelling by the stellar audiobook narration.

I know her books aren’t for everyone, but they definitely work for me. I first fell in love with her writing in Something in the Walls. I felt that story to be chilling and gripping. I read it so quickly and couldn’t wait for more from Pearce.

This novel, though I rated it the same at 4.5-stars, I actually think I enjoyed even more.

In addition to following Cathy in her hunt for Hazel, we also get Hazel’s perspective. So, as the Reader, you know where she is, in a sense, and you know what’s happening to her.

I loved the back-and-forth. Both perspectives were intense, with both women being forced to face very trying circumstances. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of Suzi. I think she made the story so much more engaging than had it just been Cathy investigating by herself.

I don’t know how else to adequately explain why I enjoy Pearce’s writing so much, it’s just something about the plotting mixed with the darker, unsettling atmospheres that really does it for me.

The atmosphere, as well as the way the tension continues to build throughout, reminds me of Jennifer McMahon or Sarah Pinborough, two of my go-to authors.

I think if you’ve enjoyed their books, you should check out Daisy Pearce, if you haven’t already. I would also highly recommend the audiobook, as the narration by Catrin Walker-Booth is excellent. Her voice felt so genuine and true to the story. It was very enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I cannot wait for whatever Daisy Pearce releases next.

You better believe I’ll be first in line!

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Review: Dead First by Johnny Compton

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Dead FirstDead First by Johnny Compton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dead First follows P.I., Shyla Sinclair, who at the start of this novel gets invited to the mansion of eccentric billionaire, Saxton Braith. As it turns out, Braith wants to hire Shyla, based on her reputation for taking on peculiar cases.

Shyla enters the meeting a bit suspicious. What does Braith want with her? They run in such different worlds.

Their encounter takes a startling turn when Braith’s assistant jams a metal rod through the back of his skull. He’s dead. Wait, no he’s not. He’s been resurrected.

That’s right. Braith cannot die and he doesn’t know why. This display by Braith and his assistant was done solely to convince Shyla of their claims. He wants her to dig into his life and try to figure out why he’s immortal.

Therein lies the case at the heart of this novel. I was intrigued by this set-up, and right away enjoyed the gritty Crime Fiction tone Compton was bringing to the story.

Shyla, as well, is intrigued by Braith’s claims and the opportunity to look into it. What she doesn’t like is that he basically blackmails her into taking the case, whether she wants to or not. Braith has done some digging on Shyla and knows her darkest secrets.

She can either help him, or risk losing everything?

Shyla ends up pairing up with her, I believe, ex-girlfriend, and sometimes work partner, Jihn, a psychic, for the case. Also along for the fun is Braith’s employee, Remy.

This is an intriguing supernatural mystery, and as mentioned above, I did really like the overall tone of the story. However, I think where it lost me was including so much backstory for Shyla. I get in a way why her past is included, the events obviously shaped her as a character, but those sections slowed the pace way down for me.

Because of my mixed interest in the various plot angles, the pace went from high to low, and with it, my enjoyment level did as well. Up, down and all around.

Even though I’ve rated this as a mid-story, I still can appreciate the quality of Compton’s writing and his creativity. I do love the rhythm of his sentences, and his descriptions of the horror bits, when they pop up.

I think if this had just been a little more singularly-focused on the mystery of Braith and his past, I would have enjoyed it more. For me, it felt like it was trying to do too much with the characters and it ended up detracting from the main plot.

With this being said, this is completely a personal taste assessment. You could read this one and it could knock you out of the park, so don’t just take my word for it. If it sounds interesting to you, give it a go. It’s worth it.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m still waiting for Compton to match The Spite House. Though this didn’t, I’m still glad I picked it up, and look forward to whatever he releases next. We’re on a journey.

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Review: Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen #1) by Jess Kidd

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Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1)Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder at Gulls Nest is the 1st-installment of a Historical Cozy Mystery series by Jess Kidd. This series follows Nora Breen, who has recently asked to be released from her vows.

Yes, that’s right, Nora was a nun. That alone had me intrigued about this series. It’s pretty hard not to love an ex-nun turned amateur sleuth.

The impetus behind Nora’s recent choice is the apparent disappearance of her former novice, Frieda. Frieda was always a reliable letter writer (it’s the 1950s), so when her letters stop suddenly, Nora grows concerned. Nora feels compelled to seek Frieda out, to check on her safety.

She follows a line from one of Frieda’s letters and ends up at the Gulls Nest, a charming seaside hotel in Kent, which really acts more as a boarding house. Nora, hiding her identity, begins staying at the Gulls Nest and inserts herself into the lives of the residents there.

It’s not long after Nora arrives that people start dying under shady circumstances. Now it’s not just the disappearance of Frieda that Nora needs to figure out, but also who’s murdering the residents of the Gulls Nest, and why?

I felt like this was a great start to a series. The writing is excellent and it felt like it had a lot of heft, a bit more serious than a lot of Cozies I tend to enjoy, but Nora’s character absolutely sucked me in.

I’m a nosey old broad myself, so I found it easy to relate to her. I loved watching her skills at engaging with people, and getting them talking. She had a touch of Miss Marple, or Jessica Fletcher, about her in that regard. People just opened up to her. They want to tell her things.

The residents at the Gulls Nest are an intriguing cast as well. I did find it a touch challenging initially keeping everyone straight, but once the action really kicked off, that unmoored feeling sort of went away.

The 2nd-book, Murder at the Spirit Lounge released earlier this Summer, and I’m excited to get to it. I have a feeling that like with many Cozy Mystery series, you become more and more attached to the characters as the series goes on.

I’m looking forward to learning more about Nora’s background mayhaps in the next book. We did get a glimpse into her past here, and she’s definitely lived a life.

I’m also interested to see how her relationship with Detective Rideout develops moving forward. If it will evolve into more of a romance, or if it will perhaps just be an incredible partnership of investigative minds, for which I would be happy to accept.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m so sorry it took me this long to get to this one. It was a great experience, not sure why I’ve been putting it off, but I certainly won’t be waiting to read the next installment!

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