Better Than Nun - A Review

Better Than Nun

by

Alice Loweecey

It is not often that I find a book from Henery Press difficult to recommend, but such is the case for Alice Loweecey’s newest book. Combining the weirdness and comedy of “Scooby Doo” (both literally and figuratively) and the horror of The Exorcist”, this new book did more to drive this reader away from than into the plot. What should have taken three days to read, my normal reading time for a cozy mystery, took me more than a week to complete.

The collection of ghosts, haunted objects, and tarot readings seemed overdone. As an evangelical pastor, I still enjoy an occasional ghost story (see my recent review of Buried In The Stacks), but Better Than Nun did not leave me with the same cozy feeling I expect from others in this genre. I suggest waiting for the next one in the series.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Henery's Ghost Stories - Two Reviews

Killing in C# by Alexia Gordon

Six Feet Under by Tonya Kappes

A Review

The ghosts are back.

Having read previous books by these authors in these series, I was looking forward to again seeing familiar characters and their spirited friends. These friends are more like Casper the friendly ghost than Scrooge’s Jacob Marley. In each, the protagonist is assisted in solving a series of murders by their unexpected friendly spirits.

But there are other elements in common – the primary victim of both stories is a vindictive reviewer – of music (from Gordon’s novel) and restaurants (from Kappes’ novel). Each reviewer has a history of destroying careers and reputations. And they have ruined so many people’s lives, the number of suspects grows the further into the book the reader goes.

As expected, these two Henery Press books were fun to read and demanded to be finished as quickly as possible. It was disappointing to see Eamon’s ghostly wife be left to some unexplained nether world – perhaps she can return in a later book. One can hope.

For those who like cozy mysteries, for those who like ghost stores (especially, friendly ghost stories), for those who like music or food – these two books may just feel the bill.

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This review is based on free electronic copies provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Death In D Minor - A Review

Death In D Minor

by

Alexia Gordon

A Review

Henery Press has another winner.

Gethsemane Brown is up to her ears in murder again - but this time it also involves art forgery (both textiles and oil paintings) and two gentle ghosts. She finds herself and her brother in law charged with murder and in the middle of a ring of forgers that has done its work on both sides of the Atlantic. And while processing crime clues, her landlord is about to sell her rented lighthouse for an obnoxious price to an obnoxious real estate baron. She will need help from her friendly ghost, Eamon, the original owner of the property where she now resides; except, the wrong ghost shows up.

I am not a believer in ghosts, but if I could enjoy Casper as a child, I can also enjoy Eamon and Daniel, the ghost of a 19th-century sea captain who knew the artist whose work was being forged. In fact, he blamed himself for her death. Throw in a couple of eccentric FBI agents, and members of the Irish Guards (i.e. police), and the author has an interesting tale that should capture the interest of a number of readers. Though this is the second book in a series, it can easily be read as a stand alone novel. I had reviewed the earlier book and did enjoy the further development of the characters in the author’s second book. Whether you have read the first book or not, Murder In D-Minor is fun reading.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Murder in G Major - A Review

Murder in G Major

by

Alexia Gordon

A Review

Gethsemane is a lost soul. She has lost her job, her fiance had a mistress, and the ghost in her current home is convinced that he was not guilty of his wife’s murder or of his own suicide. Too make matters worse, she had six weeks to turn St. Brennan’s all male, middle school, orchestra into a championship team that must win the 75th Annual All-County School Orchestra Competition - an award they had not won since the inaugural competition - if the school was to get the grant they needed to rebuild their music performance hall and Gethsemane Brown was to keep her job.

Though my description of the story above may sound convoluted, the author has done a very competent job of weaving the various threads into an enjoyable story that is neither boring nor simplistic. Additional murders accumulate like a rock collector gathers rocks.  And, like in any well-written cozy mystery, the problems are all resolved.

Except, as the final page is read, the reader is left unsure if Gethsemane Brown will keep her current job, we do not know what has happened to the friendly ghost that occupied her home, and what can we say about Frank, the math teacher, and Inspector O’Reilly, the local cold case squad?   

As a maestra with talent, whose career seemed to about take off, Gethsemane Brown is ready for the big time. When she finds that the boyfriend who recruited her to conduct a major orchestra is already committed to his mistress, she finds herself stuck - stuck in a small, Irish, boys, school - for which she is neither trained or equipped. But with the help of “Irish”, the ghost, she begins to move forward, both as she builds relationships with her students and as she solves the mystery surrounding the deaths of her ghost and his wife.

A great Halloween read, Murder in G Major will fill some the space between labor day and Thanksgiving (USA), which may also introduce the reader some unknown (at least to him or her) classical music that might make a great play list on Pandora. And after reading the current book, the reader will be wanting more and more of Gethsemane Brown and the kooky townspeople of Dunmullach, Ireland.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Second to Nun - A Review

Second to Nun

by

Alice Loweecey

A Review

Ms. Loweecey has created another fun novel featuring former nun Giulia Driscoll.  Though her former career does not play as big a part in the story as in her earlier book, the story does present some odd (in a fun way) playfulness between that occupation and the current mystery.  The presence of Tarot Card readers, fortune tellers, ghosts, and spirits will confuse the logically minded Giulia and her husband as they seek to free MacAllister (“Mac” to her friends) Stone, the owner of a haunted lighthouse, from the ghostly figures that seem to have begun to destroy her and her business.

Ghosts or not, Giulia Driscoll, Driscoll Investigations, and her husband, Detective Frank Driscoll, will get to the bottom of this creepy tale. Giulia and Frank begin by going undercover by taking a much needed vacation at the Bed and Breakfast that was the current incarnation of the lighthouse - and things go downhill from there.  Break-ins, thefts, accidents, and other mischief all seem to point a finger at the long-known lighthouse ghosts. What other explanation can there be?

The book held my attention - keeping me up nights so I could quickly get to the end. Though I read the book at the tail end of a cool spring, the book would make a perfect Halloween read for the cozy mystery enthusiast.  Of course, it could just as well fit into anywhere into an avid readers schedule - as long as they are willing to face a ghost or two.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.