paranormal mystery

Review: House of Beth by Kerry Cullen

~ megs14malloy

House of BethHouse of Beth by Kerry Cullen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After a rough break-up and an upsetting incident at her job, Cassie, an overworked assistant at a literary agency, decides to take a break. She needs some space from her life.

She retreats to her hometown in New Jersey, where she ends up running into her high school best friend, Eli, now a widowed father of two young children.

Their relationship quickly takes a turn, and before she knows it, Cassie is giving up her high-octane life in the city for homeschooling Eli’s children, exploring nature, and perhaps forming a new friendship with the eccentric next-door neighbor, Joan.

While on the outside, it may appear Cassie has truly moved on, on the inside she’s not so sure. She has misgivings about the whole situation, but it’s more than that.

Cassie suffers from harm OCD, where her thoughts are frequently plagued by graphic and gory images. Her thoughts scare her, but she can’t run from them. She’s constantly on edge.

Her violent thoughts aren’t the only thing haunting her though. There’s also the shadow of Eli’s deceased wife, Beth, looming over her every day.

As Cassie starts to hear the voice of the house, narrating the family’s secrets from before her arrival, Cassie can’t help but wonder what really happened to Beth?

House of Beth is an unsettling and unique little story. I enjoyed the overall tone. It felt ominous, even when I wasn’t sure why. It went in a direction I wasn’t expecting as well, and for that I give it extra props.

It came across as a bit of a toned-down version of Maeve Fly for me. There’s something in the delivery of Cassie’s narrative voice that reminded me so much of the way Maeve Fly would relay what was going on around her.

It also felt a bit Jayne Eyre but, obviously much more modern. The circumstances aren’t the same, just the overall feel. If that’s a tone you enjoy, you should definitely check this one out. I think it’s worth the read, just to see the new feel that the author has brought to that type of tale.

At the end of the day, I’m not quite sure I got out of this what the author intended though. I’m left with lingering questions on what kind of story this was truly trying to be.

I’m seeing some bigger picture things, but I don’t know if that is intentional, or if my mind is just trying to find logic amidst the greater puzzle. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the journey and am looking forward to more from Kerry Cullen.

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Review: Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell

~ megs14malloy

Asylum HotelAsylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Asylum Hotel follows architect, Aubrey Spencer, who after a devastating incident at work has begun seeking solace through photography. Her area of interest: abandoned places. Cue the spooky music.

The Seabrink Hotel, a stately-yet-crumbling seaside hotel, once catering to the rich and famous, is Aubrey’s current subject. The hotel is soon set to be renovated, so Aubrey wants to be sure to capture it 0n film before that occurs.

As she’s roaming the site, she runs into a man she recognizes, Dimitri Petroff, who she knows from his YouTube channel where he explores abandoned places.

The two end up hitting it off, and spend the night together. The following morning, Dimitri’s body is found at the base of a seaside cliff. Aubrey is in shock.

How could this have happened? It doesn’t make sense. The police wrap up the scene quickly, assuming it’s suicide, but Aubrey’s not buying it.

Unable to let it rest, Aubrey sets out to discover the truth of what happened to Dimitri. Local legend leads her to think something he may have seen at the Seabrink could have resulted in his death.

Digging into the hotel’s past, Aubrey uncovers a dark and sordid history that leaves her unsettled and believing that there may be some truth to the local legends.

Y’all, I really, really enjoyed this. This is a true Paranormal Mystery, so if you’re not into that sort of thing, if you’re looking for a strict Mystery-Thriller, it may be best if you steer clear. For those who like a little Paranormal sprinkled on top though, this one is for you.

I loved the setting and all the dark history surrounding the Seabrink Hotel. I enjoyed Aubrey as a MC as well. I haven’t read a lot of stories where the MC is an architect, so that was a nice touch.

My favorite aspect of this though, oddly enough, was the dynamic between Aubrey and her best friend, Nikki, who comes to stay with Aubrey after Dimitri’s body is discovered. There was something about the two of them together that just filled my heart.

Maybe because I live long distance from my own best friend, I’m not sure, but I loved how involved and supportive they were with one another. Their interactions added a lot to this story for me. It made me more connected in a way.

Additionally, I have to mention the fabulous audiobook narration done by Xe Sands. As always, Sands brought this story to life. I felt like I was listening to Aubrey relay the story to me directly. It’s really well done. Sands is one of the best in the business. There’s no denying that.

At the end of the day, while this isn’t a perfect book, I did have a lot of fun with it. It hooked me and I got through it so quickly. I liked many things about it and look forward to picking up more from Juliet Blackwell.

Thank you, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review!

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Review: Which Witch (Holy Terrors Mystery #3) by Simon R. Green

~ megs14malloy

Which Witch? (Holy Terrors Mystery, #3)Which Witch? by Simon R. Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Which Witch is the 3rd-installment in Simon R. Green’s Holy Terrors Mystery series, which I would argue is a straight-up Cozy Mystery series, though the assigned genres on the book’s main page would disagree.

I read the 1st-book, The Holy Terrors, when it was released, mistakenly believing it to be a Religious Horror. I couldn’t have been more wrong, and the reality versus expectation divide did end up effecting my enjoyment.

Nevertheless, even though that wasn’t the best reading experience for me, as time passed I kept thinking about the main characters, and how if it had been pitched to me as a Cozy Mystery, I would have had so much more fun with it.

I ended up skipping the 2nd-book in the series, but then when I read the synopsis for this one, and discovered it revolved around a theater production of Macbeth, I knew I had to read it. Happily, it was a success.

I’m proper attached to the two MCs, Diana and Alistair, now. Their relationship is so sweet. I’m left wanting more.

If you’re unfamiliar with this series, Diana is an actress and Alistair is a young Bishop. The two were brought together during the 1st-book and really hit it off. They work well together when it comes to solving mysteries, and have a lot of chemistry to boot.

In this installment, Diana has been hired to play Lady Macbeth at a local theater. When things start going awry, and the whispers start that the production is cursed, Diana reaches out to her old pal, Alistair, inviting him to investigate the mysterious happenings.

Is the theater actually cursed, or is something more mundane at play?

Which Witch was a much better experience for me than that 1st-book, although TBF, I think that’s because I went into it with the right expectations. Don’t be fooled by the darker-themed cover, this reads like a Cozy Mystery.

I do really enjoy Diana and Alistair together. Their chemistry is undeniable. I also loved the theater setting with the active production, and all the actors and stage hands involved. It was quite a mixed group and I had a lot of fun trying to guess what was going on.

At times the dialogue does seem a little forced, but the mystery of this one was very engaging. It does have a nice is it paranormal, is it not paranormal feel that I tend to enjoy, so that was def another plus.

While I wouldn’t say this was the most memorable story, it was entertaining and I’m now excited to go back and read the 2nd-book in the series, Stone Certainty.

Thank you to the publisher, Severn House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more Diana and Alistair!

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Review: It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest

~ megs14malloy

It Was Her House FirstIt Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

‘I suppose we get the ghosts we get,
not necessarily the ones we want.’

After Ronnie Mitchell receives an inheritance due to the tragic passing of a family member, she purchases a rundown mansion in West Seattle. With anxiety high and in need of distraction, this could be just the project she needs.

Ronnie has some carpentry experience, so feels like she’ll be able to tackle anything the house throws at her. Unfortunately, what she knows nothing about is the bloody, violent history of this particular house.

Will that come back to bite her, or can she handle that too?

It Was Her House First was a captivating read, even though somehow it wasn’t at all what I expected. I enjoyed it though very much. It reminded me a bit of The September House, so I would recommend it for fans of that book. It’s not quite as graphic, but still manages to give those vibes.

I loved our present perspective MC, Ronnie. I connected with her way of thinking and it made it extra enjoyable. She has a bit of a wry, honest sense of humor, always just laying it out there for the Reader. I loved that.

We also get different perspectives that help to fill us in on the history of the house. These perspectives are all tied to it’s heartbreaking history, and unsurprisingly, they’re still very much connected to the house and the present situation Ronnie finds herself in.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the house itself and the longer that Ronnie is there, the more interested she becomes in filling in that history knowledge for herself.

I appreciated Ronnie’s strength and determination when it came to the house. Unsettling things begin happening fairly quickly after she takes ownership, but she never shies away. If anything, she leans in, going further than I think a lot of people would.

She felt very brave to me. Sometimes to a level where you questioned her choices, but nevertheless, she had a goal and she was sticking to it, come hell or high water.

Overall, I feel like this one is an interesting twist on a standard haunted house tale. I enjoyed the interactions of all the various players involved in the drama, and feel like Priest pulled off a lot with this one.

Even though it is a haunted house story, it has a bit of a cozier feel. As mentioned above, I would recommend it to Readers who enjoyed The September House, but also to fans of Rachel Harrison and T. Kingfisher’s Adult Horror.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Cherie Priest!

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Review: The Stitchers (Fright Watch #1) by Lorien Lawrence

~ megs14malloy

The Stitchers (Fright Watch, #1)The Stitchers by Lorien Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Stitchers is the 1st-installment to Lorien Lawrence’s Spooky Middle Grade trilogy, Fright Watch. I have owed this book for close to 5-years, and am now kicking myself for waiting this long to pick it up.

I absolutely adored this story. Lawrence was able to pull me in and get me completely invested from the very beginning. I loved the MC, Quinn, and her friend/neighbor, Mike.

They made quite the dynamic duo.

Quinn and Mike both live on Goodie Lane. They’re both on the school track team and most days, go running together early in the mornings before school.

On these early morning runs, they frequently observe odd and slightly disturbing behavior from their neighbors; all elderly folks, they’ve dubbed The Oldies, who’ve lived on the street for as long as anyone can remember.

This behavior isn’t really anything new, as Quinn’s Dad, who fairly recently passed away, was a police officer and even he found their neighbors suspicious.

Why don’t they ever seem to age?

After her father passes, Quinn becomes even more focused on getting to the bottom of whatever is going on with the The Oldies. Mike seems like the perfect Robin to her Batman, and he’s more than willing to help out.

The neighbors seem to be on to them though, aware of the kids digging around. Are Quinn and Mike in real danger, or are they just letting their imaginations get away from them?

As things start to heat up on Goodie Lane, their situation escalates quickly. Quinn and Mike desperately search for answers, but will it be too little, too late?

This is such a great Middle Grade Horror novel. I loved how quickly it kicks off and how likable our main characters are.

The mystery of the story is puzzling and it gets top marks for the eerie atmosphere. There were some seriously creepy moments and I loved watching all the action play out.

The Oldies, as a group, are super creepy antagonists. Some of the interactions that Quinn and Mike had with them gave me literal chills. I was fearful in those moments for the characters I had come to love.

I also really appreciated the, shall we say, Beauty Horror, included in this one. Lawrence has some serious Horror chops, don’t let the Middle Grade categorization fool you. This is a good one and read under the right circumstances, it’ll get under your skin.

I loved this so much that I immediately started this 2nd-book after finishing it. And that’s saying something, because I’m terrible at committing to series.

I would recommend this one to any Reader who enjoys Spooky Middle Grade, but honestly, I would recommend this one to any Horror Reader in general. I definitely think this has something to offer individuals of all ages.

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Review: Spirit Hunters (Spirit Hunters #1) by Ellen Oh

~ megs14malloy

Spirit Hunters (Spirit Hunters, 1)Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spirit Hunters is the 1st-installment in a Spooky Middle Grade series by Ellen Oh. This book follows Harper, a 7th-grader who has recently moved to a new town, along with her parents and younger brother, Michael.

As the Reader, you can tell that they’ve moved in part due to some sort of traumatizing event that’s happened in Harper’s life, but the truth behind that is slowly revealed over the course of the novel, instead of all at once.

This gives Harper a bit of mystery to her character, which captured my attention from the start. She’s a great character; one I was interested in getting to know.

There’s also mystery surrounding the new home they’ve moved into. Quickly, Michael starts acting strangely, talking about a friend no one else can see.

While his parents brush it off, children often develop imaginary friends during times of stress or upheaval, Harper is convinced something more is going on.

After making a new friend in the neighborhood, Harper then hears the stories of the house. It’s haunted. She knew it!

As Michael’s behavior continues to worsen, and living in the house becomes more disturbing, and even dangerous, Harper knows she needs to get to the bottom of the haunting and stop it, before it’s too late.

Spirit Hunters was such a fun and wild ride. This book, along with the next 2-books, have been sitting on my shelves for so long. I woke up one day in the mood for Middle Grade Horror, and decided it was finally time to give this one a go.

I’m so glad that I did. I loved all the characters and following along as Harper learned more about their new home, and about herself.

I loved how Oh created such a dark history for the house. It felt menacing, and I did feel a real intensity to the story as I began to fear for Harper and her safety. To me, sometimes MG authors may pull back, but I felt like Oh really dipped into Horror territory and I appreciated that.

The spirits in this story posed a real danger, and as the story raced towards the conclusion, I could not put it down. I had to know how it was going to turn out for Harper.

I also liked how this story explored Harper’s mental health in regard to a traumatic event that had happened in her past. It added depth to her character, and I liked how those details were included.

Overall, this exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait to continue on with the rest of the series. I’m hoping to pick up the 2nd-book, Spirit Hunters #2: The Island of Monsters, very soon!

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Review: We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough

~ megs14malloy

We Live Here Now: A NovelWe Live Here Now: A Novel by Sarah Pinborough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After a cliffwalk accident puts her in a coma and almost kills her, Emily, is ready for the new start her husband, Freddie, suggests. The couple move from London to a beautiful Dartmoor country house called Larkin Lodge.

Set in a remote area, by the stark natural presence of the Moors, this property is steeped in gothic vibes. Emily, still recovering both mentally and physically from her accident, is intrigued, and a little frightened by the imposing home.

As they settle in, Freddie is away from home for the majority of the week, still working in London. He’s put in for a transfer, but it hasn’t happened yet, so it’s back-and-forth for him until that becomes official.

This leaves Emily alone, with a lot of time on her hands, and she begins to notice things: creaking floorboards, books falling from the shelves, and what she can only determine is a mysterious presence in the 3rd-floor bedroom.

Unfortunately, these disturbing occurrences only seem to happen when Emily is alone. When she tells her husband about her fears, he blames them all on her accident. Claiming she is just experiencing post-sepsis hallucinations.

Emily doesn’t know what to think. She knows that’s a potential symptom for people recovering from sepsis, but the feelings never leave her. It feels so real and scary in the moment. She begins to resent Freddie for not listening to her and brushing off her concerns.

Meanwhile, Emily is more determined than ever to get to the truth behind Larkin Lodge. She can feel that something terrible has happened there, that something is off, but what?

I had so much fun with this book. I know it won’t necessarily be for everyone, but for me, it was excellent entertainment. I was in this with Emily and everything that was happening to her at Larkin Lodge. I also liked to get ticked at Freddie right along with her. It was like we were friends.

This story is mainly told through Emily and Freddie’s perspectives, but there are also a few other narrative inclusions which I really enjoyed.

Incidentally, the audiobook does feature dual narration and I highly recommend that format. The narrators absolutely hooked me into the story. They were so believable as Emily and Freddie. It was almost like I could feel the tension growing between them.

I loved the atmosphere and that we were really dealing with a pretty morally grey cast of characters; my fave. I also loved the dynamics explored within Emily and Freddie’s marriage, as well as within their friend group.

There were scenes, as Emily is first experiencing odd things at the house, that gave me chills. I loved the clues she ended up following in order to figure out what was going on.

I also feel like it was a really cool concept going on and I loved the conclusion. It left me with that evil grin on my face that I love to have at the end of a story like this. I feel this was well-executed by Pinborough.

Was it perfect? No, but it didn’t need to be. It was so fun and engaging. I was sucked completely in and finished it in a 24-hour period; during the work week! That’s no small feat.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so glad I picked this up and look forward to more from Pinborough!

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Review: The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth

~ megs14malloy

The Haunting of Room 904The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olivia Becente has the ability to commune with spirits, a gift she surprisingly inherited after the tragic and unexpected death of her sister, Naiche.

A few years after that heart-breaking event, Olivia has put her gift to good use, becoming the most in-demand paranormal investigator in the Denver area.

Even though her career is a success, the loss of Naiche continues to haunt her. When she gets a call from the owner of the Brown Palace, a landmark Denver hotel, saying he has a haunting he wants her to investigate, she jumps at the chance to explore the infamous property.

More specifically, the Brown Palace has a haunting in Room 904; where every few years, a young woman is found dead, regardless of what room she checked into the night before. These deaths hit very close to home for Olivia, and she vows to get to the bottom of it.

Her investigation leads her down complicated personal paths as past and present collide, she’s forced to face a possibly murderous cult, a vindictive journalist, potentially backstabbing friends, and the truth of her sister’s life.

The Horror Community is certainly being blessed in 2025. I really enjoyed White Horse by this author, and tend to enjoy Indigenous Horror in general, but this is even an improvement over White Horse for me, as far as the character interactions go and how quickly the story kicks off.

I love how Olivia, and her best friend/roommate, Alejandro, are a sort of an Ed and Lorraine Warren team in this story (IYKYK). I was drawn in from the start, learning what happened to Olivia’s sister was so sad, and hearing the history of the Brown Palace was uber-compelling.

I felt like I truly went on a ride with Olivia. I enjoyed getting a front row seat for her investigation, and watching as she started to put the pieces together. She certainly showed a lot of courage against everything.

There were other aspects I appreciated too, including a historical perspective that shined a light on the Sand Creek Massacre, which occurred in the 1860s, and is connected to this land and helped develop the history of the place.

There’s also some really fun mixed media elements that have to do with various potentially paranormal items on the virtual market. It’s hard to explain, but just imagine the owners of Annabelle put an ad on Craig’s List.

Those were such an entertaining little break among the darker narrative, and in fact, I felt like they gave the story an even stronger air of reality. People pay a lot of money for that type of object; it’s a niche market, but a ravenous one.

Overall, The Haunting of Room 904 was so good. I’m such a Wurth fan at this point, I’m already anticipating whatever she’s going to deliver next. I would recommend this to any Horror Reader, particularly if you enjoy Occult elements, or Paranormal Investigations.

For me, it did start to get a little muddled towards the end, nevertheless, a very solid Paranormal Horror story, with strong characters and a captivating plot.

Wurth does a great job of creating relatable characters with real emotions in them. Even when they’re experiencing things that you may personally have never experienced before, you can still FEEL it. That’s such a talent.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I definitely recommend the audio format and can’t wait for more from Wurth!

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Review: The Holy Terrors (Holy Terror Mysteries #1) by Simon R. Green

~ megs14malloy

The Holy Terrors is a good book. Particularly, if you go into it expecting a Cozy Mystery with potential Paranormal aspects.

Unfortunately for me, I went into this expecting Religious Horror, which it absolutely is not. I think at the time I received this as an ARC, it was not designated as Book #1 of the Holy Terrors Mystery series.

If it had been, I think it would have tempered my expectations a bit. Nevertheless, I do highly recommend the audiobook if you are going to pick this one up, and now that I know what the series is about, I would be interested in picking up the 2nd-book, [book:Stone Certainty|217105077].

I love Cozy Mysteries and I think that the MC of this, Bishop Alistair Kincaid, could be a fun one to follow. I feel we have so much more to learn about his character and I’m down to explore that.

It also seems like he may be pairing up with another one of the characters from this book, Diana, an actress. They had some interesting chemistry, so that could be fun, watching them work together again.

This story also has a fun set-up. Alistair and Diana are involved with the filming of a television ghost-hunting show, where they, along with some other folks, get locked into a reportedly haunted hall overnight.

Unfortunately, while that set-up is great and should lead to a lot of creepy action, I feel like the narrative is much more focused on the interpersonal dynamics going on between all these trapped show people.

I feel like it was a bit of a missed opportunity to create a genuinely-creepy vibe. With this being said though, there’s nothing wrong with a more character-focused mystery, it just wasn’t what I was expecting, or in the mood for, when I picked this up.

Overall though, I think if you go into this with the right expectations, this could definitely be a quick, fun read. Again, check out the audio if you plan to pick it up. I flew through it.

Thank you to the publisher, Severn House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. It’s def more likely than not that I will be checking out the next book now that I know more what to expect

Review: You’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker

~ megs14malloy

You're Dead to MeYou’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️

Ruby Toller, a high school Senior, lives in Florida with her single-Mom and her Mom’s annoying boyfriend, Hunter. They reside at and run at a small Nature Park, that was passed down to Ruby’s Mom from her parents.

Ruby loves working at the Park, taking care of the animals. It’s her home and she plans to always be there. Unfortunately, demand for these types of attractions isn’t what it once was, and they struggle to stay afloat.

Thanks to a generous scholarship, Ruby is able to attend the very prestigious Oleander High School, a private school full of richy-rich teens.

Just because she attends though, doesn’t mean she fits in, or is accepted and Ruby has grown a bit of a chip on her shoulder. One thing she has been successful at though is her thriving anonymous-local gossip blog, ReputationKiller.

Ruby digs up dirt on the most elite families and community members and blasts them on her blog. Thus, aptly doing just as the blog title states, killing reputations.

When Ruby is outed as the force behind ReputationKiller, the whole town turns against her, except for her best friends, Anton and Xavier, and shockingly, an attractive rich boy named Alexander.

More of an outcast now than ever, Ruby feels isolated and like her life is out of control, but at least she has a life. Even that comes into question however, when Ruby starts being haunted by her own ghost.

That’s right, she’s being visited by her dead self, in a horrible state of decay, clad in a tattered prom dress.

It’s clear from the ghost’s appearance, she didn’t get that way due to natural causes. With the prom just days away, Ruby and her friends must figure out who is going to murder Ruby, and stop them, before it’s too late.

You’re Dead to Me was a super fun reading experience for me. I haven’t read a YA Horror-Thriller with such successful Supernatural aspects in a long time.

I found the story to be fast-paced and engaging, with some great Horror imagery. It kept me wanting more and guessing. There were some truly intense moments.

I also loved the way the Florida setting was used and the stark contrast between the Haves and Have-Nots within this community. It felt realistic.

It is super-dramatic, as you would expect from a Teen Scream, but all that drama was really well-executed in my opinion. It had me reaching for my popcorn, versus rolling my eyes, which is always a good sign.

I appreciated the way the author steadily built the intensity throughout. The stakes keep getting higher and higher as the days tick down until the prom.

I also liked the relationships between Ruby and her best friends, as well as her budding relationship with cute boy, Alexander. The friends supported each other very well, even through all the crazy things they go through in this book.

Ruby’s relationship with her Mom was rather complicated and I did like the exploration of that as well. Families are messy, you know?

Overall, I thought this was a super solid YA Horror-Thriller. If you love a Teen Scream, full of drama and danger, you should absolutely check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Content Warning: Animal death on page.


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