historical fiction

Review: Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Not for the Faint of HeartNot for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Mariel, granddaughter of the infamous Robin Hood, is a new Captain in the Merry Men. She’s desperate to live up to her family legacy, which puts a lot of pressure on her.

Clem, a cheery backwoods healer, is taken prisoner by Mariel, and the MM, as retribution for Clem’s guardian offering healing services to the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Forced proximity abounds as Mariel and Clem travel along together doing Merry Men things. Everything seems to mostly be going to plan, when Mariel’s father, Jack Hartley, Commander of the Merry Men, is captured in an ambush.

Now Mariel and the remaining MM, including sweetly-innocent Clem, must try to get him back.

With the woods at war, not everyone believes in the Merry Men as they used too. Soon enough, even Mariel is questioning what they stand for.

Will they be able to get Jack back? And will the Merry Men continue on their current path, or switch things up for a new generation of bandits?

This is a cute story that showed off Croucher’s signature witty writing style. I wouldn’t say I connected to this one at the same level that I did with Gwen & Art last year, but it’s still a solid Historical YA Rom-Com.

As with Gwen & Art, I did listen to the audiobook and definitely recommend that format. The accent of the narrator lends itself well to these stories, and truly helps to bring the action to life.

I appreciate how quickly Croucher can create characters I love. Both Clem and Mariel were so fun to get to know, though for different reasons. It definitely has a Grumpy-Sunshine element to it that evolved beautifully over the course of the story.

I particularly liked the journey for Mariel. As a member of an infamous family, she’s had a lot of assumptions made about her and preconceptions made about who she is as a person.

She’s had a real struggle trying to overcome those things and figure out what exactly her path is going to be.

I also enjoyed her learning more truths behind her famous family. Going in, I had forgotten this was connected to the legend of Robin Hood. I loved that inspiration.

I also really enjoyed, and was impressed by, how even though this is a magical and witty tale, Croucher again managed to seamlessly weave in some heavier topics. There’s a lot here for Readers to enjoy.

For me though, as mentioned above, I never ended up connecting with this as deeply as Gwen & Art, and I’m not sure how memorable it will be for me long term.

With this being said, it’s still a great YA book with a lot of important topics explored and representation. I’ll keep coming back for all Croucher’s future releases.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I love this kind of funny Historical romps, and hope Croucher continues writing them!

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Review: A Front-Page Murder (Poppy Denby Investigates #1) by Fiona Veitch Smith

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A Front-Page Murder (Poppy Denby Investigates #1)A Front-Page Murder by Fiona Veitch Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

I really enjoyed A Front-Page Murder, which is the first installment of the Poppy Denby Investigates series.

I felt like in comparison to other Cozy Mysteries I’ve read lately, it’s quite simplistic, but there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple and I mean that.

I had mistakenly believed this was the start to a new series, but it’s actually an older series being rereleased. Luckily, since it takes place in a historical time period, it didn’t feel dated, as it may have with a more modern backdrop.

This is set in 1920s-London and follows an aspiring female reporter, Poppy Denby. At the start, Poppy is moving to London from her quiet Northern town to live with her Aunt Dot, a once successful former stage actress.

At 22-years old, this is the first time Poppy has forged out on her own, away from her parents. She’s excited, but also a little nervous about starting her new life.

Poppy isn’t afraid to go after what she wants though, and the ambitious young woman quickly lands a job with the Daily Globe as an Editorial Assistant.

On her first day, one of the Globe’s veteran reporter, Bert Isaacs, falls from a balcony within their office building, plunging to his death. This occurs moments after he’s received a mysterious note related to his current project.

Isaacs was looking into the death of a local suffragette some 7-years earlier. Due to her Aunt’s ties to that movement, Poppy is assigned to help complete the article.

As Poppy begins to investigate, she is thrust headfirst into a dangerous world she never expected to end up in. The more she learns, the deeper she wants to dig. There’s a lot to uncover, involving a lot of powerful people, who grow wise quickly to Poppy’s lurking about.

The public, and the innocent people involved, have the right to know the truth, and Poppy is determined to get to the bottom of it; to expose the bad actors involved. Justice has just gained a new ally.

As mentioned above, I did enjoy this one quite a bit. Though simple, I did find it compelling enough and I really enjoyed Poppy as a main character.

I liked that this was her first time out on her own. She had a lot to learn, but grew so much more over the course of the story. Though she started out a bit unsure and self-conscious, by the conclusion she’s a confident young lady with the world as her oyster.

I would be interested in continuing on with this series. I feel like this has the potential to make me quite attached to these characters. Poppy does have a love interest and I would like to see how that turns out as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Embla Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I hope the rest of the series is rereleased with this style of cover. It’s perfectly-fitting for this story and I can’t wait to pick the rest up!

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Review: The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

~ megs14malloy

The Haunting of Moscow HouseThe Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Haunting of Moscow House is set in 1921, after the Bolshevik Revolution. In this novel we follow two sisters, Irina and Lili, whose family home, a once lush mansion in the heart of Moscow, has been taken over by a group of Boleshevik soldiers.

The remaining family members are banished to the attic living space of the home, even though many rooms in the lower levels remain vacant. Crammed in, frequently cold and hungry, it’s a huge transition for this once powerful family.

The sisters understand that the way they used to live is a thing of the past and they must adapt quickly to this new political landscape, or perish trying.

For its part though, this once stately home isn’t as adaptable and it certainly hasn’t forgotten the past.

Anxious to escape the haunted halls, the sisters end up getting jobs working for an American relief agency. This provides good pay, food, a place to escape during the day, as well as some potential love interests.

At night though, the house seems to be becoming increasingly unsettled. Unexplained things are happening, noises and apparitions. People are getting hurt.

Is the explanation supernatural, like ancestral spirits wrecking havoc, or is someone more corporeal to blame?

While this wasn’t necessarily to my tastes, I think for Historical Fiction fans who enjoy a potential Supernatural twist, this could work really, really well.

Nevertheless, I appreciated the direction the author took with this story and I’m glad I took the time to read it. I do have a lot of interest in this time period of Russian history, so having it focused around that was quite captivating.

I did feel a lot of empathy towards the remaining members of the Goliteva family, whose ages ranged from small children, who didn’t understand what was going on, to elder family members, who had lost everything they had previously cherished and enjoyed.

The situation in the city at that time, brought to life here by the author, did provide a lot to think about.

It made me think how I may have dealt with such upsetting and dire circumstances. It’s an uncomfortable thing to consider, but I appreciated how Olesya Salnikova Gilmore got my mind working.

Without giving too much away, in order to maybe spur more Horror Readers into picking this up, it does have a bit of an Occult bent to it, so if that is something that interests you, check it out.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I did enjoy the atmosphere and the character work of this quite a bit. I would be interested in reading more from this author.

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Review: The Nightingale’s Castle: A Novel of Erzsébet Báthory by Sonia Velton

~ megs14malloy

The Nightingale's Castle: A Novel of Erzsébet Báthory, the Blood CountessThe Nightingale’s Castle: A Novel of Erzsébet Báthory, the Blood Countess by Sonia Velton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Admittedly, I don’t read a lot of Historical Fiction. When I do, I prefer it to be of the Gothic variety, and luckily, that’s exactly what I found here.

I saw friends enjoying this, so of course, FOMO hit me like a ton of bricks and I wanted to read it ASAP. It wasn’t a hard sell considering I’ll read anything even remotely related to the legend of Erzsébet Báthory!

Legend names Erzsébet Báthory, a Hungarian noblewoman, as the most prolific female serial killer of all time. Her likeness and story have been reimagined countless times in fictional media, seemingly getting more bloody and brutal with each retelling.

Sonia Velton put a much different spin on the story of the reputed Blood Countess. I’ve gotta say, I will never think of Báthory the same way again. This was so well done. Incredibly creative and if the Author’s Note is any tell, extremely well researched.

I feel like Velton took great care with this story. I loved how it was developed and all pieced together. The characters were fascinating and the bits at the end containing portions of the trial were uber-compelling.

When Erzsébet was charged with her alleged crimes, four of her servants were accused alongside her as accomplices. In this novel, we meet those people closest to Erzsébet, her inner circle, and find out what life may have been like for them inside the castle walls.

Our main focus is a young girl, Boróka, who is one of the most recent additions to the household. She quickly rises to be one of the Countess’s most trusted companions.

This story builds with us learning about all these key players, as well as the Countess herself. There are some nasty people there. It’s not surprising, once you get to know them, how this ultimately played out. It’s rife with deceit, backstabbing and lies.

Even though this is a bit out of my comfort zone, I did truly appreciate what the author did here. I’m so glad I made time for this story and would absolutely be interested in picking up more from Sonia Velton.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Perennial, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely recommend this to Historical Fiction and Gothic Fiction Readers, as well as anyone interested in the legend of Erzsébet Báthory.

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Review: The Bell in the Fog (Evander Mills #2) by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

The Bell in the FogThe Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Bell in the Fog is the 2nd-installment of Lev A.C. Rosen’s Evander Mills series. If you are unfamiliar with these books, it’s a Queer Historical Mystery series, and it’s amazing.

I really enjoyed the 1st-book, Lavender House, when I read it in 2022, but I actually enjoyed this one even more.

I wouldn’t say it was because of the mystery components, or that this one is better written, it’s more increased enjoyment because of how attached I am to these characters now.

Evander Mills, who goes by Andy, is a fantastic MC. He is everything I would want a lead to be. He contains a lot of depth. I love his back story and watching him forge a new path for his future.

Admittedly, in addition to the great stories, quite a bit of my enjoyment comes from the fabulous narration of Vikas Adam, who so far has narrated all three of the installments.

We are told these stories solely through Andy’s perspective, and Vikas Adam IS Andy to me. I will never be able to hear another person reading as Andy and believe it.

The tone and quality of Adam’s voice channels such a period-appropriate film noir feel to these audiobooks; I cannot recommend them highly enough. If you are going to read them, you really should check out at least one of the audiobooks if you have them available to you.

To help set the scene, it’s 1952, in San Francisco, and Andy is trying to get his private detective business off the ground after being let go from the SFPD after getting caught in a compromising position at a gay bar. He’s in desperate need of a new case when a familiar face walks through his door, but it’s not someone he’s excited to see.

It’s James, Andy’s lover from his time in the navy, who mysteriously disappeared years before. Even though he wants to immediately kick James out, Andy, ever the gentleman, decides to let him state his case.

James needs help. He’s being blackmailed. He wants to find the person behind it and put a stop to it before his entire life and career is flushed down the drain.

Andy is not pleased to see James again, but honestly, he can’t afford to be picky. A case is a case, and blackmail shouldn’t be too hard to clear up.

The web of deceit is much thicker than Andy could have anticipated though, and soon, everything seems more at risk than ever. We follow Andy in a fast-paced scramble as he tries desperately, not just to protect his client, but everyone he holds dear.

Y’all, this is such an engaging mystery and entertaining series. I feel like it needs more buzz, as I’m not hearing enough people chatting it up.

The classic Detective Fiction vibes are here, but super gay. I love the setting, the entertaining cast of characters and the representation, which includes a wide range of Queer identities and romances.

The community that Andy has found himself, though often complicated, is also heartwarming. There’s something about these characters sort of carving out a safe space for themselves in an otherwise hostile world; it’s hopeful, while at the same time not negating the serious dangers they face day-to-day, which I appreciated.

The early-1950s setting enhances this story by allowing Rosen to give a subtle, respectful nod to those who came before. To show what they went through, it’s eye-opening and was handled in such a tactful way.

As you can tell, I love this series. I’ve already started the 3rd-book Rough Pages, and I am hoping there are many, many more to come.

I feel like I haven’t come across too many Queer Mystery series, so if that is something you also feel is lacking in your reading life, you definitely need to check this one out.

With this being said, Queer or not, this is a great mystery series, period, and I hope more people discover, and love, Andy Mills and friends!

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Review: Rough Pages (Evander Mills #3) by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

Rough Pages (Evander Mills, #3)Rough Pages by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

I love this series with my whole heart. Andy Mills is a phenomenal main character and I adore the classic film noir vibes just rolling off these pages.

The mystery, relationships and setting are all equally fantastic and compelling. I need more!

If you’re unaware, Rough Pages is the 3rd-installment to Lev A.C. Rosen’s Evander Mills series. These are Historical Mysteries set in early-1950s San Francisco and follow a diverse cast of characters.

This story kicks off with Andy being drawn back to Lavender House for a missing person case involving Pat, the butler. Pat has been volunteering his time working at a book store specializing in a subscription service for Queer books.

The proprietor of that bookstore, Henry, has mysteriously gone missing, along with his address book containing the list of all their subscribers. Trust that in the early-1950s, this is a very valuable list. If it falls into the wrong hands, a lot of people would be in danger.

Andy discovers the book shop also had begun publishing Queer books, and it appears someone didn’t want them to release their latest project.

Evidence leads Andy to believe there’s a mafia connection and that they may have purposely held onto the subscriber list for future blackmail purposes.

It’s a race against time as Andy tries to put the pieces of this dangerous puzzle together before his whole world comes crashing down around him.

The mystery, again, was great and I have become so incredibly attached to this cast of characters. It’s not just Andy, but also the found family he has surrounded himself with since his termination from the police department.

I loved how at the start of this, he returned to Lavender House, which he didn’t do in the second book. So, that was fun to revisit that special place and I like how Rosen incorporated those characters again.

The film noir, classic detective fiction, vibes are so strong in this series. I urge anyone who has a soft spot for those classics to pick this series up. Rosen has nailed that style and when I am reading one of these mysteries, I can see it all playing out in my head like my movie. I love it.

Andy went through so much in this one. He has a budding relationship and he did have to confront a bit of his past again, this time in the form of his former employer.

There were high stakes, tense moments, as well as discussions about books and sharing of stories. I appreciated how a lot of the plot revolved around this idea of subversive books. That was an interesting avenue of exploration.

This series doesn’t get enough hype, IMO, so just know, it comes with my highest recommendation. I haven’t come across a lot of Queer Historical Mysteries, but I have a feeling, even if I had, this series would still be the tops.

In addition to the overall series recommendation, I also highly recommend the audiobooks, if that’s an option for you. They’re all narrated by Vikas Adam, whose narration style lends itself so well to the film noir feel of these stories. Vikas is Andy to me.

Thank you to the publisher, Forge Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I am not sure what the future holds for this series, but I certainly hope we get a lot more cases to solve with Andy and friends!!

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Review: The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson

~ megs14malloy

The Last Witch in EdinburghThe Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Last Witch in Edinburgh is a novel I went into wanting to know as little as possible about the plot. I had heard it had incredible atmosphere, and that was enough to sell it to me.

As the story began, I was fully immersed. It actually kicked off on my birthday, the 18th of September, but in 1824. Obviously, we are in Edinburgh and we are following Nellie Duncan, a young woman at a perilous time in her life.

Her mother is gone, she lives with her father, a drunkard, and her younger brother, who she tries her very best to care for. She’s the responsible adult in their household.

Unfortunately, Nellie loses her job after a misunderstanding with the lady of the house, who she once considered her surrogate mother. After that, Nellie is set adrift.

Not only is Nellie’s personal life in turmoil, but society itself is also a dangerous mess, with witch hunts and hangings going on left and right.

Nellie’s misunderstanding with her past employer, and her growing beauty, make her afraid of attracting the wrong attention. She keeps very much to herself, just hoping to avoid any unwanted attentiveness.

It’s while under the cover of darkness that she first comes into contact with the women from Rae’s Apothecary. Nellie ends up finding purpose and place within their shop, and maybe a little more with the enticing Jean Rae.

Thinking she’s finally found a home, Nellie’s heart is shattered when disaster strikes. She spends the next two centuries fleeing from the world.

Okay, so the initial set-up, I was so into it. I loved the setting of 1820s Edinburgh and all the dangers that Nellie was facing within her day-to-day life.

I enjoyed learning about her family and felt real empathy for her position. Once she became enmeshed in the Apothecary, things began to slow down for me. I was still enjoying it, but didn’t feel quite as engaged.

Then the shift. I didn’t know the two centuries part. It is in the synopsis, I’m not spoiling anything by telling you this, but for me, I did not anticipate that time jump.

Once I was no longer in 1820s Scotland, the magic completely disappeared for me. I appreciated the feminist topics explored, but while in the first half they were incorporated smoothly into the overall narrative, for me, the 2nd-half felt forced and too heavy-handed.

The experience for me was so split as to feel like two different stories. The first-half of the book was a solid 4-star read. The second-half, I was straight-up bored, NGL.

If I had to rate the second-half of this book on its own, it would be a 2-star. Hence why I have decided on the 3-star rating. This seems the most fair way to explain it.

I will take the blame for this. I wanted the entire thing to be atmospheric and historic, full of lush settings and period-specific dangers. When it wasn’t that, I couldn’t help but be disappointed.

I do think the author did a great job of creating the lore around this tale though. There are many strong attributes, so please don’t let my slight disappointment derail you from picking this up.

Even though this one let me down a little in the end, Marielle Thompson’s writing is beautiful and I would absolutely be interested in picking up more of their work.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. I would highly recommend the audiobook, if you do choose to pick this up. It’s fabulously narrated by Siobhan Waring.

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Review: Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin

~ megs14malloy

Murder by CandlelightMurder by Candlelight by Faith Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Murder by Candlelight is a Historical Cozy Mystery set in the village of Maybury-in-the-Marsh, in the Cotswolds, in 1924.

Arbie Swift is an author, who has found new found success after the publication of his book, The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting. He’s the kind of famous now, where since he’s an expert in all things ghost,has individuals seeking him out, asking for assistance with their own hauntings.

For example, he gets asked to the Old Forge, where the lady of the house, Amy Phelps, believes she is being haunted by a spectre. Arbie should know what to do, right?

Hesitant at first, both with his new-found fame, and with the idea that he can actually help Amy with her problem, Arbie finally agrees to go stay at the Old Forge. After all, it could provide good content for his next book.

Unfortunately, while Arbie is there, Amy is murdered. Now Arbie finds himself in the unlikely position of detective, along with his dear friend, Val.

As the two dig into Amy’s life and family, they discover all sorts of potential suspects and motives. It’s a race against the clock as they try to discover the identity of the killer, supernatural or not, before anyone else falls victim…

I have been in such a mood for Cozy Mysteries lately. I’m not sure what it is, the changing of the seasons, or the amount of stress that I have been under at work and in my life, but either way, I am eating them up.

I picked this one up on a whim and devoured it in a day. I loved the quaint setting and Arbie as a main character. I think this story set-up a perfect jumping off point for a potentially long-running series.

As with many other Mystery series, I feel like this is the kind of story where you would just get more and more attached to the characters as the installments add up. It also had a distinct Christie vibe, which really worked for me.

I loved that Arbie was an author of a ghost-hunting book, and whether or not he truly believes in all that, is something you’ll have to discover for yourself upon reading. However, whether he does or not, it certainly sets him up to meet a lot of interesting people.

I also really enjoyed the relationship between Arbie and Val, which definitely deserves some more attention. I’m not sure if there are plans for this to be a series, or not, but I certainly hope so. I would be genuinely excited to continue on.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Cozy Mysteries, particularly if you enjoy Historical Cozy Mysteries, Mysteries set in a small town/village, or even if you are just a fan of Agatha Christie’s work.

I feel like Martin did a great job plotting this story, and keeping the Reader engaged, while also creating likable, believable characters.

Thank you to the publisher, HQ Digital, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I truly hope this isn’t the last I see of Arbie and Val!!

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Review: Ghost Island (Jessica Niemi #4) by Max Seeck

~ megs14malloy

Ghost Island (Ghosts of the Past, #4)Ghost Island by Max Seeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Ghost Island is the 4th-installment in Max Seeck’s Jessica Niemi series, also known as the Ghosts of the Past series.

These Nordic Crime novels follow MC, Jessica Niemi, who is a Helsinki Police Detective. Admittedly, this is the first novel that I have picked up in this series, and personally, I feel it worked well as a standalone.

With this being said though, I enjoyed it so much that I intend to go back and read the previous 3-books. I’ve already got the 1st-book, The Witch Hunter, on loan from my library and am excited to start it soon.

I found Jessica to be a very compelling protagonist, and she did refer to some things in her past that I am interested in learning more about. Most specifically, her relationship with an apparent mentor who has since passed away.

In this installment, at the very beginning of the story, Jessica gets in a bit of trouble while leaving a therapy appointment. She gets in an altercation with a belligerent man, who goes so far as to put his hands on her.

Defending herself, Jessica fights back, although in hindsight, she may have taken it a little too far. When video of the incident spreads, Jessica’s supervisor suggests she take some leave to get her head on straight. The Department doesn’t need this type of negative publicity.

Jessica travels to a remote island in the Åland archipelago, where she rents a room at a historic seaside inn. She doesn’t tell anyone in her life where she is going.

Hoping for solitude, Jessica is a bit rattled when a group of elderly travelers arrive, one of them begrudged that Jessica is inhabiting the room she usually stays in.

Jessica learns this group is the last of the ‘birds of spring’, former refugees who fled Finland as children during World War II and lived together for a few months in an orphanage on the island. They return every year, for a reunion of sorts.

The orphanage has been abandoned for years, but the building still exists and local legend has it that one of the orphans, a girl named Maija, who went missing decades before, still haunts the island.

Maija is said to appear, in her signature blue coat, late at night at the end the pier, the last place she was ever seen.

When one of the ‘birds of spring’ is found dead, drowned by the pier, Jessica suspects foul play. She begins to dig into the past of the orphanage and discovers two other deaths that suggest a copycat killer may be on the island.

With inclement weather closing in, making travel an impossibility, Jessica must get to the bottom of this and quickly, before more people end up dead.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. As mentioned, I hadn’t read the other books and wasn’t sure if that would damper my enjoyment or not.

Nevertheless, this synopsis was intriguing enough for me to want to take the risk and I’m so glad that I did. I was invested in this very early on, as I found Jessica’s character extremely compelling.

I was surprised that this turned out to be a dual timeline, with us getting a huge chunk of the story told via Maija’s perspective, set in the mid-1940s, at the time when she resided at the orphanage.

I am not a big Historical Fiction Reader, but it seemed well done here. Maija’s perspective did manage to keep me engaged and wanting to discover the connections to the present and Jessica’s stay at the property.

This brings me to the setting. I loved it. As someone who lives on a small island, that is remote and difficult to get to, I love island-set stories. It makes it so easy for me to picture just the overall feel of that landscape.

This was made infinitely better by the inclement weather that descends just as the plot is heating up. It brought a claustrophobic feel, as you realize that there is literally no escape for these characters. Someone is dead, and they are stuck. There’s a killer amongst them, but who?

I am an atmosphere girl, first and foremost, and this transported me. I felt like I was there alongside Jessica. I could feel the cold, the wind, the isolation. It was gripping.

My only slight criticism would be, once we got to the big reveal, I felt like the end dragged on a little two long for my tastes. Perhaps, if I had read the earlier books and had more backstory on Jessica I wouldn’t have felt that way, IDK.

Either way, I cannot wait to read the other books in this series and I hope there are more coming. Jessica definitely has a lot of room to grow as character. I feel like there are big things ahead for her.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me a copy to read and review. You’ve hooked me. I’m looking forward to more Jessica Niemi!

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Review: Her Lost Soul (Detective Maria Miller #2) by Helen Phifer

~ megs14malloy

Her Lost Soul (Detective Maria Miller #2)Her Lost Soul by Helen Phifer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Her Lost Soul is the 2nd-installment to Helen Phifer’s Paranormal Mystery series, Detective Maria Miller.

As the name suggests, this series follows Detective Maria Miller and her partner, Frankie Conroy, as they investigate possible paranormal cases, in and around NYC.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, The Haunting on West 10th Street, so was looking forward to being reunited with Maria and Frankie.

Just to be clear, this is actually a Paranormal Mystery series. I know a lot of Readers enjoy the feel of, is it paranormal, is it not, but then when it comes right down to it, they don’t actually enjoy a paranormal conclusion, or explanation.

This isn’t a Scooby-Doo situation, where the mask is pulled off at the end to reveal the old librarian, who has been tricking everyone with mirrors and lighting effects.

The case in this novel is the disappearance of 17-year old, Riley Holt, daughter of a local Sheriff, who went missing while exploring an abandoned asylum with some friends.

Inspired by media such as Ghost Adventures, the four teens entered the asylum to explore and have some fun. Things start getting creepy though and in a sudden panic, they all flee, only noticing once they are outside that Riley is no longer with them.

Since the asylum is believed to be haunted, and after vigorous searching, no signs of Riley are found, Maria and Frankie are called in to take over the case.

As known experts in all things unexplainable, they seem like the right people for the job.

Maria and Frankie are forced to dig into the dark history of the asylum, leaving no stone unturned in their desperate search for Riley.

As with the first book in the series, this one also contains a historic perspective that is in some way connected with the current investigation.

In this case, we follow a patient at the asylum in 1960. We go back and forth between her experiences at the asylum, including the people she interacts with, and Maria and Frankie’s investigation.

I did really enjoy this. It didn’t hit as hard for me as the first book, I think because I didn’t find the mystery as creepy as that first one.

Also, it almost felt too short. I would have enjoyed a longer build-up to the final showdown and some more explanation as to how this was all resolved. I know what the results of the resolution are, but am unclear how we got there really.

With that being said though, I still found the back-and-forth perspectives intriguing and loved learning more about Maria. She’s a fun protagonist. I feel like I can relate to her and I enjoy the chemistry that she has with Frankie.

I am absolutely planning to continue on with this series. I hope there are a lot more future installments. They’re fun, light reads, that can help you forget about life for a while. Finally, two thumbs up for the audiobook format.

Thank so to the publisher, Storm Publishing and Dreamscape Select, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am looking forward to more Maria Miller!

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