Fantastical

Review: Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert

~ megs14malloy

Mister LullabyMister Lullaby by J.H. Markert
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Mister Lullaby is the 2nd-novel that I have read from Horror author, J.H. Markert and honestly, after my experience with this, I’m starting to second guess my feelings on The Nightmare Man, which I thought I had fun with.

This story just did not work for me at all.

In this one, which is almost completely lost from my mind, we’re in the small town of Harrod’s Reach. Most of the action centers around an old railway tunnel and the fantastical, horrifying properties it may hold.

We follow a whole host of people as they deal with the repercussions of the nature of the tunnel. There’s quite a few individuals in comas, there’s a lot of characters in general and every once in a while there was a bit of a coherent storyline that I was actually intrigued by.

I know this is coming off as all sorts of salty, and I apologize for that, but these are the general feelings I walked away with; confusion and disappointment.

In fact, I was confused by this right from the start. I found it muddled and hard to track, and definitely not an easy narrative to settle into. I’m not trying to work too hard here. I read for fun and escape. I don’t want to be taking notes in order to follow a cast of characters.

Don’t get me wrong, there were glimmers of interest, things I wanted to learn more about, but those portions never lasted long enough to really hook me.

There were a lot of moving parts, and many of those parts were things I had seen before. It felt like a Hodge-podge of Joe Hill and Stephen King ideas rolled into a ball and thrown in a casserole dish, trying to make something delicious, but it burned in the oven.

And that’s how I walk away. Burned.

With all of my venting out of the way, I am sure this review helps you not at all, because I am also going to say, if you are interested in this book, PICK IT UP!!! At the end of the day, I know nothing. This is simply my opinion based upon my own personal reading experience.

Everyone’s taste is different and everyone enjoys different things. I have read quite a few reviews and I know a lot of Readers are enjoying this. You could be one. I would never tell someone not to read a book and I’m not going to here.

There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. The fact that I didn’t enjoy this means absolutely nothing.

Regardless of my experience, I want to thank the publisher, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I am 1 – 1 with this author now and do plan to pick up whatever he releases next. I am hoping this particular story is just a one-off for me and that I will love the next one!

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Review: Everlost (The Skinjacker Trilogy #1) by Neal Shusterman

~ megs14malloy

Everlost (The Skinjacker Trilogy)Everlost by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Everlost, the first book in Neal Shusterman’s Skinjacker Trilogy was originally published in 2006. I was in grad school at that time and wasn’t doing much free reading, so missed it.

In 2020, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers re-released the entire trilogy with beautifully-redesigned covers. Like the publisher’s dream that I generally am, I promptly bought them all and they’ve been sitting on my shelves ever since. Staring at me, begging to be loved.

On a recent whim, I decided to finally dive in. In this story we follow Nick and Allie, who right at the beginning of our story die in tragic car accident. Unfortunately, their souls don’t get where they need to go and now they are stuck in a limbo land known as Everlost.

Everlost is like an eerie, distorted image of our own world. It’s filled with things, including places, that no longer exist in our world. There’s also a lot of other souls trapped there.

At the beginning, navigating their dangerous new circumstances, Nick and Allie meet a lot of people who help to teach them about the functioning of Everlost.

There’s bands of roaming kids and a girl named Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost souls. Nick is taken by her, but Allie refuses to believe in the fate that Mary is trying to sell her. Refusing to live for the rest of time trapped between two worlds, Allie begins investigating ways to make a change.

This was a solid start to a trilogy and actually, the more I have thought about it since I have finished, the more I have come to appreciate the depth of the story.

I feel like if I would have read this years ago, when it was released, I would have been crazy, mad, nuts about it, but it did feel a little dated in some sections, as far as the writing style is concerned.

However, with this being said, I still really enjoyed the world-building and will be continuing with the second book in the series next month. I’m very interested in digging further into some of the concepts Shusterman explored.

I was impressed with how quickly this kicked off. We’re immediately dropped off where we should be, there’s no time wasted digging into character’s lives prior to Everlost. Perhaps that will come into play later in the series, but as far as this first book, I feel like that was a great choice.

I also enjoyed the atmosphere and eerie nature successfully carried throughout. It made me think of many darker fairy tale elements; like the kids as Lost Boys, the Peter Pan ones, not the vampire ones, as they have a bit of a feral nature. Also, Mary as a bit Queen of Hearts. Then I also picked up low-key Wizard of Oz sort of vibes.

Overall, I found this premise intriguing, the plot fast-paced and I think it’s a great base to continuing building out this world. I’m really looking forward to continuing on with the characters and seeing where it goes from here!

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Review: Abeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark

~ megs14malloy

Abeni's SongAbeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark

Abeni’s Song is the Middle Grade Fantasy debut of beloved and award-winning SFF-author, P. Djèlí Clark. I love reading Middle Grade and have found a lot of joy over the years within the genre.

As soon as I heard about this, I knew I had to read it. I’ve really enjoyed Clark’s writing in the past and was super interested to see what he would do in the MG-space.

In this story we follow Abeni, a young girl, who on Harvest Festival day, loses everyone in her village to raiders and a man playing a cursed flute. The villagers are marched away, lured by the song, to ghost ships set for distant lands.

Abeni isn’t sucked in by the spell though. Instead she is whisked away by the old woman who lives in the forest abutting her village, reputed to be a witch.

Although Abeni feels like the witch’s prisoner, she has in a way been saved and her unwanted magical apprenticeship begins. Still, even though she isn’t being harmed, Abeni is distraught and heartbroken over what happened to her village and her loved ones.

Over the course of the story, Abeni learns about magic, history and herself, all while focusing on her mission to rescue her people and bring them home.

Abeni’s Song is a solid story, with plenty of room to grow as the series continues.

I love and respect P. Djèlí Clark tremendously as a Fantasy writer. He’s incredibly imaginative and I love some of the dark imagery he conjures up through his stories. There’s definitely some of that beautiful, darker imagery here.

I am also excited he’s branching out into the Middle Grade space for the first time. It’s important to have this type of representation and culturally-influenced stories for young people to discover, but overall, this one was just okay for me.

IMO, this didn’t feel like a Middle Grade Fantasy. It read more like an Adult Fantasy with a young protagonist. The chapters were quite long and more heavy-handed in the settings, descriptions and inner thoughts of our MC, than with action, witty dialogue or fantastical elements.

Because of this, I didn’t find myself enjoying this as much as I have some other Middle Grade Fantasies. It’s still a great, well-developed story, with strong character work, but just in comparison with other stories in the space, it was a little more challenging to work through.

With this being said, there is so much to love about this book. Abeni is a memorable character, who really matured over the course of the story. I know so many Readers are going to love and connect with this.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Starscape and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Clark is such a phenomenal writer and I look forward to picking up more of his work in the future!

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Review: Malice House by Megan Shepherd

~ megs14malloy

Malice HouseMalice House by Megan Shepherd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After a very successful start, Malice House dropped off a cliff for me around 75% of the way in. It’s unfortunate, I hate to say it, but it happens…

This story follows an artist named Haven Marbury. Haven’s father, a very famous author, has recently passed away. Because of this, Haven travels from her home in New York City to his property on the West Coast. She has inherited his possibly haunted house and everything in it.

Having recently suffered through a very traumatic break-up, with barely two pennies to rub together, the idea of having a place of her own, far from her ex, is actually a blessing.

Once at the house, Haven meets with her father’s 0ld-caregiver, a rather disturbing woman in her own right. A woman that in the past has refused to spend one single night at the property.

Unusual happenings begin pretty much right away. It’s a big house and definitely spooky. Additionally, it’s bringing up a lot of mixed feelings for Haven.

Sifting through her father’s belongings, Haven discovers an unpublished manuscript called Bedtime Stories for Monsters, which is quite different from his previous works.

It’s dark and twisted, right up Haven’s alley. She has an epiphany. She needs money. Her father’s name on a cover will sell any book. She’s an artist. She’ll illustrate this book and pitch it to publishers as a father-daughter posthumous collaboration.

Unfortunately, a local group of bibliophiles that her father was a part of, the Ink Drinkers, start continuously trying to insert themselves into the process of deciding what to do with the unpublished manuscript. Haven probably should have kept that discovery to herself.

After that, things start to get really weird. Haven feels like they’re crazy, she wants them to stay the heck away from her. It’s her father’s work. They have no say over what she does with it, or do they?

There’s an attractive, though suspicious, neighbor. There’s potential poltergeist activity at the house. There are monsters coming to life and attacking. There are crazy locals and a dark, ill-feeling atmosphere.

As mentioned above, I was super intrigued by this in the beginning. I love the idea of fictional stories pulling through into real life. Monsters jumping off the pages and wrecking havoc. Are you kidding?! That’s amazing!

There were a few fun twists and as it began to come together as to what was happening, I lifted an eyebrow. Okay, Megan Shepherd. I see you. You are a Horror Gurlie. Me too!

At some point though, it kept going and went too far. It got so convoluted that it was hard to follow. I’m not sure what could have improved, I’m not claiming to be an author here, but it completely lost me by the conclusion.

I liked Haven as a character and enjoyed watching her discover some fairly significant family secrets. I just wish the pace could have been more even. The monstrous elements did build steadily, but they didn’t stop at a coherent point. It just devolved into chaos.

The more I think about this, as I am writing this review, the more disappointed I get. I am serious when I say, I really enjoyed the beginning. There are so many elements in this to love, especially if you are a fan of darker fiction. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t pulled through to a solid conclusion in my opinion.

With this being said, just because I wasn’t crazy about the ending doesn’t mean you won’t be. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a shot. You could find a new favorite read within these pages.

Thank you to the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this one didn’t blow me away, I would definitely pick up more Megan Shepherd novels.

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Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

~ megs14malloy

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries: Book One of the Emily Wilde SeriesEmily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries: Book One of the Emily Wilde Series by Heather Fawcett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is the perfect, snuggled-under-a-blanket, Winter read.

A Cozy Fantasy with low-stakes, light romance, enchanting atmosphere and easy-to-love characters. This was exactly what I needed for January!!

This book follows Miss Emily Wilde. Emily is a Cambridge Professor, who specializes in the study of faeries. In fact, when we meet her, Emily is fastidiously researching her latest project, the first ever encyclopaedia of fairy lore.

Emily has traveled all over the world studying various culture’s magical beings and the legends and lore surrounding them. She has one destination left, a remote village in the Scandinavian country of Ljosland.

Emily is used to field work, so she’s not put off at all by the stark, isolated village life. However, she wasn’t aware that it would be so rustic that she would need to chop her own wood to keep warm.

Needless to say, Emily, along with her trusty companion, her dog, Shadow, have a bit of a learning curve to overcome in Ljosland.

As they’re settling in, Emily receives a letter from one of her Cambridge colleagues, Wendell Bambleby, that he’s planning to join her. He can’t be serious? Emily works best alone.

Alas, arriving as unexpectedly as his earlier correspondence, there he is. Wendell Bambleby on her doorstop, two student research aides in tow. Good grief.

As days pass, and Emily’s research deepens, she begins to suspect that Bambleby knows more about the fae than he is letting on and there may be an unconventional reason for that. Will Emily’s research be a success? Will she figure out the mystery of the Hidden Ones near her cottage?

Most importantly, will she figure out the mystery of the man residing within?

Emily Wilde’s was such a lovely, cozy, warm hug of a read. I’ll be honest, I teared up at the end. I just didn’t want to part from these characters. I’m so happy this is just the start of our journey with Emily.

There’s a lot to love about Emily as a character. She’s a true academic. Not one for small talk, she struggles a bit interacting with other humans. It’s not her favorite thing.

I loved the whole idea of her setting off into the great unknown, Shadow by her side, to complete her research. She is fearless. In fact, her life is in jeopardy more than once over the course of this story, yet she seems to navigate it all so well.

Emily has her ups-and-downs over the course of this story and I felt for her every step of the way. She’s definitely the type of character you would want to be friends with. I found it so easy to connect with her.

Wendell was so fun too. He’s handsome, charming and has a natural ease with people that instantly gets under Emily’s skin. Everything seems to come so easily for him and if you’re struggling, as Emily is with some of the villagers, that can definitely be frustrating.

I loved their sort of love-hate relationship. All love on his side, a little less so on hers. I wouldn’t say hate, but she definitely rolled her eyes at him more than once.

I really enjoyed the cold, barren setting with the backdrop of the magical faerie realms as well. There were quite a few whimsical scenes that I thought were done really well.

Additionally, I liked how Fawcett chose to format this. It reads like you are reading Emily’s journal entries. It felt intimate and real-time with her adventures.

There are footnotes though, just a warning, I know not everyone is crazy about those. I felt they worked here though by adding to the vibe of the story.

Overall, I think this is a fantastic start to a series. I am definitely attached to these characters and look forward to reading more about them in the future.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a lot of fun with this one and definitely recommend it to fans of Cozy Fantasy and stories involving the Fae!

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Review: The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

~ megs14malloy

The Ghost BrideThe Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve had my eye on this gorgeous book for a very long time. After recently reading through some glowing reviews from friends, I decided not to put it off any longer. Proving that sometimes I do make good choices. It’s rare, but it happens.

One of my favorite aspects of this ended up being the striking atmosphere. It was such a good fit as we transition from a spooky October into a still spooky, yet more cozy November…

Set in the 19th-century port town of Malacca, in colonial Malaya, this story follows 17-year old, Li Lan, who lives with her father and loving nursemaid, Amah.

Li Lan’s family was once well-off, but due to her father’s persistent opium addiction, they now find themselves virtually bankrupt.

Li Lan is at the point in her life when most young women her age are getting married. Due to their status, however, Li Lan finds herself without many prospects.

When her father first presents her with the idea of becoming a ghost bride for the wealthy Lim family, he says it lightly, sort of in passing; like he wasn’t really considering it.

The local practice of ghost brides are said to calm restless spirits of those who have passed on. The Lim’s son, Lim Tian Ching, has recently died under mysterious circumstances and his mother seems set on finding him a ghost bride.

Even though Li Lan would be set for life, having a lavish place to live, never wanting for anything, she’s not into it. Tying herself to a dead man for the duration of her life, no thank you. She wants more, maybe even love.

When she gets invited to the Lim home for a visit however, she does accept. There’s no reason to be rude. Plus, she’s genuinely curious about the family.

It is a very interesting visit. She’s mesmerized by their lifestyle and the characters fluttering around their lush estate. After the visit, the haunting of Li Lan begins.

In her dreams, Li Lan is visited by the dead Lim Tian Ching, whose spirit makes her incredibly uncomfortable for a host of different reasons. The nightly interactions begin to wear heavily upon her.

She even goes as far as visiting a medium to try to find a way to free herself of his spirit. In short, she’s given a potion of sorts to try to help and after taking too much, Li Lan slips into a coma.

Y’all, I am really simplifying this here, but you get the gist. Through her condition, Li Lan is transported to the parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, where vengeful spirits, ghost cities and monstrous establishments abound.

There she meets Er Lang, a sort of spiritual guide, and they help her upon her journey. The more ensnared Li Lan becomes in this world, the greater the risk becomes that she will never be able to return to the mortal realm. It’s a race against the clock.

I adored the menacing, magical tone of this. I loved the infusion of Chinese folklore. It’s so interesting to read about and learn about. I have read a couple of other novels tackling similar concepts and always end up really enjoying the imagery of the dark underworld.

I did end up listening to the audiobook and I would absolutely recommend that format. It is actually narrated by the author and is completely mesmerizing.

I love when an author narrates their own story. If done right, it can just breath such energy and authenticity into it. Only they know exactly how their words should be read and wow, Yangsze Choo could be the best I’ve ever heard!!!

I know I am probably forgetting a million things that I wanted to say about this one. The goodness of it all has just zapped thoughts straight out of my brain.

Overall, I found this story to be beautifully-lyrical, fantastical and compelling. I’m so glad that I finally made time for it. I am definitely planning to read more from Yangsze Choo; looking forward to it. I’m a fan!

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Review: Elevation by Stephen King

~ megs14malloy

ElevationElevation by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

I picked up Elevation as Book #9 for my TBR-Haul Project.

I hauled this all the way back in October 2018 and had planned to read it immediately. Unfortunately, I didn’t pick it up as soon as I wanted and then it got buried on my shelves and forgotten.

This happens a lot, hence the need for the creation of my TBR-Haul Project. If I actually followed through on things, we wouldn’t need this type of self-improvement project.

But enough about me, let’s get to Elevation, which happens to be a Castle Rock story. That fact alone ups its rating. I love that twisted little town.

We follow Scott Carey, who has a disturbing health ailment he’s trying to make sense of. It sounds insane and he’d prefer not to have the whole town gossiping about it, therefore, he confides only in his good friend, retired General Practitioner, Doctor Bob Ellis.

Scott is losing weight, a lot of it and rapidly. Yet, his physical appearance looks no different.

It’s bizarre and no matter how long the two friends discuss it, they just can’t come up with an plausible explanation. However, scales don’t lie. He weighs the same dressed, or not, with heavy things in his pockets or not.

The problem is there seems to be no end in sight, besides reaching zero on the scale. What will happen then? Basically, Scott believes his life now has a rapidly approaching expiration date.

During the midst of all of this, he also is dealing with regular life stuff. Including befriending some new neighbors, a married lesbian couple who own a local dining establishment, and seem to be the talk of the town.

The women, Dee-Dee and Missy, are new to Castle Rock and not everyone is happy about the restaurateurs presence.

As the town starts preparing for its annual Thanksgiving Day 12k, Scott begins to notice the discriminatory behavior directed at the couple. In his own bumbling way, he decides to try to help.

Then there’s the actual road race, the turkey trot. An odd and well-detailed road race that Scott not only participates in, but excels at.

Unlikely friendships are formed and the rest of the book plays out with all the characters learning a lesson or two.

This story is like the Aesop’s Fable of Stephen King’s written work. It’s short, concise, a bit fantastical and I think he had a point to make; maybe a lesson for all of us.

In fact, I believe at the time, this story may have gotten a bit of heat for being too political. I personally have no opinion on that either way, but what I did take away from this was the quality of the storytelling.

As always I found the writing to be absolutely fluid and engaging; top notch stuff. However, if this had been included in a short-story collection, it wouldn’t really stand out to me as a favorite, as say something like Secret Window, Secret Garden, 1922 or The Body.

The book itself is gorgeous. The end pages and the illustrated chapter headings, loved them. 5-stars for the packaging. I’m happy to have it on my shelves as part of my vast King collection.

Overall, while this won’t stand out as one of my favorites of King’s work, I am glad that I finally made time for it. It always feels good to check something off a list!

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Review: Flash Fire (The Extraordinaries #2) by T.J. Klune

~ megs14malloy

Flash Fire (The Extraordinaries, #2)Flash Fire by T.J. Klune
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars **

Flash Fire is the second book in T.J. Klune’s trilogy, The Extraordinaries. Set in the fictional town of Nova City, this novel takes place in a world where Superheroes are real.

They’re called Extraordinaries, have secret identities, wear costumes, save the day and sometimes cause a lot of damage. They’re worshipped, they’re feared and they’re a constant source of mystery and rumor.

Nick Bell is a Extraordinaries superfan and the author of their most popular fanfic. He also struggles with ADHD, the loss of his Mom and with maintaining a open relationship with his Dad.

One major plus is that he now has the Superhero boyfriend of his dreams. However, with new Extraordinaries arriving in Nova City, including powerful new villains, and hormones raging like never before, life is suddenly more complicated than ever.

Nick and his friends, Seth, Gibby and Jazz, must team up to protect Nova City from these evil forces, all while trying to figure out their regular teenage life stuff and PROM!!

I had so much fun returning to Nova City and this incredibly lovable cast of characters. Klune writes with such intention and that can definitely be felt within these pages. It filled my heart with so many emotions.

While this is set in a world with fantastical elements, there are also so many relevant contemporary topics explored. I personally enjoy that mixing of real-life with the fantastical. It’s a novel you can sink your teeth into.

Even though I enjoyed this story throughout, particularly Klune’s continued witty writing and Nick’s character growth, I don’t think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first book.

For me, this was a pretty solid 4-star read for the majority of the book. I was really enjoying it, but not in love.

Then, the ending. The freaking diabolical cliffhanger ending that left me with my jaw on the floor and my head screaming, I NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!!

Well played, Klune. This is a fantastic series. It’s funny, it’s heart-warming, it’s full of action and uncomfortable teenage moments. I am so excited to see what happens in the next book. I can’t imagine how this series is going to end.

Obviously I am hoping for a happily ever after…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Teen, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.

I am in love with these books and am really looking forward to the final installment!

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Review: My Contrary Mary (Mary #1) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

~ megs14malloy

My Contrary Mary (Mary, #1)My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

**4.5-stars**

Returning with all the fantastical humor of My Lady Jane, My Contrary Mary follows Mary Queen of Scots as a teenager in 16th-century France.

Although she has the title of Queen of Scotland, Mary has actually spent most of her life living in France, where she is betrothed to the Dauphin; future King, Francis.

She has her handmaidens with her, all named Mary, but luckily assigned nicknames so they don’t all respond at the same time. Less confusing that way.

Mary, our Mary, Mary Queen of Scots, also feels fortunate that she and Francis actually get along quite well; many young people aren’t as fortunate with their arranged marriages. #blessed

Just look at Francis’s mother, Catherine de Medici. It’s pretty clear she despises her husband, King Henry II and frequently plots against him in various ways.

Oh, the drama of the royal court!!!

Our varied cast of characters doesn’t end there however, we also have the infamous seer Nostradamus, along with his daughter, Ari, on Catherine’s payroll.

Lurking about behind the scenes providing predictions, potions and more!

I should also probably mention that our Mary is an edian, a shapeshifter, transforming into a mouse when it suits her.

This is an awfully handy skill for palace eavesdropping, as you can imagine, and has helped our dear Mary on more than one occasion.

Y’all, I’m giddy. This was so much fun. It was everything I wanted it to be.

I love the Lady Janies’ creative narrative style. It’s quirky, funny and full of subtle pop culture references. These authors sure know how to tell a delightful story!

Captivating from the start, if you enjoyed My Lady Jane, I think you will love this just as much. I know I did.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Teen and Harper Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. It was pure fun on the page and I can’t wait to meet more Marys are the series continues!!!

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Review: Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters

~ megs14malloy

Ghost Wood SongGhost Wood Song by Erica Waters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Mood. This book is a mood and I loved it!!

Shady Grove is a fiddle-playing high school girl, who has been struggling a bit since her father’s untimely death.

Her mother has since remarried and her step-dad, Jim, has a contentious relationship with Shady’s older brother, Jesse. This makes life at home far from peaceful.

Shady finds respite practicing her fiddle in the woods surrounding their trailer. At least for a while.

She’s also in a band with her best friends, Sarah and Orlando. While Shady enjoys playing with them, she really wants to play just bluegrass, the music she was raised on, but they have a different opinion; especially Sarah.

Making matters worse is the fact that Shady and Sarah were an almost couple. It never ended up happening and now it feels like there is a giant elephant in the room every time they are together.

When they compete in an open mic night and a boy in a rival band catches Shady’s eye, it seems like things may finally explode with Sarah.

Shady hardly has time to focus on that however, when something much more serious happens.

Her brother, Jesse, gets arrested; accused of murder.

Shady recognizes her brother has a temper and he admittedly, hasn’t been in the best place mentally as of late, but she also knows he could never do this.

Remembering the stories her father used to tell her, how he could channel spirits by playing his fiddle, Shady decides there’s only one thing for her to do.

She needs to find her Dad’s old fiddle and raise the spirit of the person Jesse is said to have killed. That way she can ask him what happened to him and use that knowledge to help free Jesse. Sounds fairly simple, right?

This novel has so many elements that I traditionally love.

There’s the storyline featuring music and musicians, a murder, a haunted old farmhouse, long-buried family secrets, a beautifully-constructed love triangle for our bi-girl protagonist and a haunting, gritty setting.

Tie all of this together with Erica Waters exceptional writing, how could I not absolutely love this story?

I was drawn in from the very start. Some of her descriptions of music, what it is like playing music, the way it can overtake your body; gahhhhhh, it was so well done.

The murder mystery was interesting and just added another level to an already intriguing tale.

Additionally, I loved how Waters weaved in the lore surrounding Shady’s family and their obviously haunted property. Shady’s Aunt Ena was one of my favorite characters.

Then there’s the overriding grief that permeates this entire story. It’s morose, it’s lyrical, it’s so many wonderful things.

I do recognize this story will not be for everyone, but for me and my tastes, it was close to perfection. I would respectfully and lovingly refer to this as a type of Hillbilly Noir. It’s enchanting and I can’t get enough of it.

I cannot wait to check out more of this author’s work! If I love any of it half as much as this one, I will be a happy girl.

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