Forever is the Worst Long Time by Camille Pagan

March 28, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Forever is the Worst Long Time by Camille Pagan
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (284 pgs)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

When struggling novelist James Hernandez meets poet Louisa “Lou” Bell, he’s sure he’s just found the love of his life. There’s just one problem: she’s engaged to his oldest friend, Rob. So James toasts their union and swallows his desire.

It is no different with erectile dysfunction in young men. cialis wholesale prices People also consume it as a sedative or to prompt a state of ecstasy in mind.DosageWhen taken as a tonic for general upkeep of health, blue lotus can be consumed as an extract. 6 to 12 drops of extract or 1teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of it free levitra sample can be taken up to thrice a day in juice or wine.Another way is to consume the flower itself. Researchers say that the watermelon is amazing and though not as organ specific as order cheap levitra “it’s a great way to relax blood vessels, improve the flow of blood to the penile region and rejuvenates reproductive organs through enhanced blood supply. Secondly, it helps access the assembly of nitric oxide. cialis for cheap price As the years pass, James’s dreams always seem just out of reach—he can’t finish that novel, can’t mend his relationship with his father, can’t fully commit to a romantic relationship. He just can’t move on. But after betrayal fractures Lou’s once-solid marriage, she turns to James for comfort.

When Lou and James act on their long-standing mutual attraction, the consequences are more heartbreaking—and miraculous—than either of them could have ever anticipated. Then life throws James one more curveball, and he, Rob, and Lou are forced to come to terms with the unexpected ways in which love and loss are intertwined.

What do you do when you meet the love of your life? A better question is: what do you do when the love of your life is engaged to your best friend? This is the question that struggling novelist James Hernandez finds himself contemplating the day he meets Louisa Bell – the woman about to marry his longtime friend, Rob.

In a way, I can relate to James’ life. Never able to finish that novel, unable to move past his love for Lou, he stagnates, stuck on his dreams. But on the other hand, he doesn’t try very hard to move on from his feelings either. That’s where he and I differ. If he were a teenager, his inability to find happiness with someone other than his best friend’s wife would be understandable. However, as the years go by and his relationships continue to fail and his manuscripts never get finished, it gets to be a bit old. He has very little character growth until the last quarter of the novel.

Lou was much less annoying in the sense that she did everything she could to make her marriage to Rob, James’ best friend, work. Even when Rob wasn’t on board with it all. She doesn’t give in to her suppressed wishes until she realizes that things aren’t as perfect as she wants them to be. By that point, I couldn’t blame her, honestly. You can only give so much without getting anything in return before you stop giving.

I really struggled with the first half of this novel. It felt like it took a long time to get to the point where the ‘big thing’ happened and the story really started. Once we hit that point, I felt more invested in the characters and became involved in what was happening. The story that unraveled in the last third to half of the book was fascinating, engaging, and heartbreaking. I only wish that it had engaged me sooner. Overall, I did enjoy the story and the characters, but for me, it took entirely too long to set up what I felt to be the meat of the plot.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

15th Affair by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

November 11, 2016 By Leave a Comment

affair
15th Affair by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (351 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Detective Lindsay Boxer has everything she could possibly want. Her marriage and baby daughter are perfect, and life in Homicide in the San Francisco Police Department is going well. But all that could change in an instant.

Lindsay is called to a crime scene at the Four Seasons Hotel. There is a dead man in one of the rooms, shot at close range. The man checked in under a false name with no ID on him, so the first puzzle will be finding out who he is.
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In the room next door are a dead young man and woman, also shot. They are surrounded by high-tech surveillance equipment. Could they have been spying on the man now dead in the room next to them?

And in the utilities cupboard down the hall is the dead body of a house maid. The murders are all clearly linked and professionally executed. But what is the motive behind it all? Lindsay will need to risk everything she has to find out.

Lindsay Boxer thinks she’s finally figured it out. She’s settled into her competing roles of mother, wife, and detective, and has even figured out how to balance the three (mostly) and keep everyone, including her dog, Martha, happy. But is it all a well-constructed façade or does she really have it all? Everything she knows and believes about her life is about to be rattled when a woman linked to the CIA disappears.

From the first pages of 1st to Die, I’ve loved Lindsay Boxer. She’s plucky, she’s smart, and she’s tough as nails. But, when it’s needed, she can be loyal, loving, and the best friend you’ve ever had. This kind of contrast can be rare in a female detective. In 15th Affair, Lindsay is knocked off her game and is walking a thin line between sanity and absolute chaos. As much as I hated to see her so out of sorts, it was a different sort of Boxer to watch.

My one complaint is that with every novel, the mysteries seem to get more and more convoluted. Generally, I don’t have a huge issue following along and understanding everything that’s happening, even when there are two separate cases happening. This time, and it very well could have been me being distracted, I had a hard time keeping things straight, even though the two incidents weren’t similar at all.

I think I probably say this every time I review one of James Patterson’s books, but I adore his work. The Women’s Murder Club series has long been my favorite and this newest installment isn’t any different. Although I was shaken and a little upset by the way it ended, there was purpose and reason behind it. I’m hoping that in the next book we get more information so I can go back to loving a particular character. Even though I wound up feeling a little lost as far as the mysteries went, I still enjoyed this book and can’t wait for number sixteen to arrive.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Crazy Blood by T. Jefferson Parker

November 10, 2016 By Leave a Comment

blood
Crazy Blood by T. Jefferson Parker
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (303 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

The Carson dynasty rules the ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Founded by patriarch Adam, the town is the site of the Mammoth Cup ski race-a qualifier for the Olympics. But when Wylie Welborn, Adam’s illegitimate grandson, returns after a stint in Afghanistan, it reopens a dark moment in Carson family history: the murder of Wylie’s father by his jealous and very pregnant wife, Cynthia. Her son Sky, born while his mother was in prison, and Wylie are half-brothers. They inherit not only superb athletic skills but an enmity that threatens to play out in a lethal drama on one of the fastest and most perilous ski slopes in the world.
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Three powerful and unusual women have central roles in this volatile family feud: Cynthia, bent on destroying Wylie; his mother Kathleen, determined to protect him; and April Holly, a beautiful celebrity snowboarder, on track to win Olympic Gold. But, as Wylie falls in love with April and they begin to imagine a life away from the violence that has shattered his family, history threatens to repeat itself and destroy them both.

Are things like jealously, greed, and craziness inherited? Are some people just born with crazy blood? That’s the question when half-brothers Wylie Welborn and Sky Carson set their sights on beating the other at the Mammoth Cup skiing competition. But which one will come out on top? Will slow and steady win the race or will the day be won by sheer audacity?

Wylie Welborn was once on top of the world. Now, upon his return home after a long stint in Afghanistan, he’s finding himself at a loss, trying to rebuild the life he’d had before. He’s a complex and interesting character, one I enjoyed very much, in spite of his struggles and inner demons. Although Wylie is content to ski and help out his family, when the chance at love comes around, he throws himself all into the opportunity. I found it interesting how, even though he was the illegitimate son of the town’s patriarch, Adam Carson, said patriarch embraced Wylie with open arms. It was a refreshing approach to an age-old situation. Even Adam Carson’s oldest grandson, Robert, treated Wylie like a brother. Adam’s younger grandson, Sky, on the other hand, had nothing but vitriol for Wylie.

Sky Carson is everything Wylie is not. Although an excellent skier, he’s headstrong, arrogant, and reckless. Aided and abetted in his hatred by his mother, the jilted Cynthia Carson, Sky makes it his mission to drive Wylie out of town, but not before he beats him at the Mammoth Cup. Despite the fact that practically every scene with Sky made me seethe with anger and frustration, I honestly felt awful for the kid. His mother was pregnant with him when she caught her husband cheating – of which Wylie was the result – and therefore spent the first thirteen years of his life without his mother. But the way he internalized all of his mother’s ‘crazy blood’ left me feeling out of sorts at times.

Crazy Blood is a sit on the edge of your seat kind of novel because you never know what kind of crazy is going to crop up next. Even though I have very little interest in competitive skiing, the descriptions were exciting and described in a way that even a novice could fully envision them as they happened. There is one serious twist near the end that caught me completely by surprise and stuck with me long after I finished the novel.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin

November 7, 2016 By Leave a Comment

bull
Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin
Publisher: Sciencethrillers Media
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (310 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Jeremy, a lonely and obese teenager, shoots into the limelight when a headstrong public health nurse persuades him to sue the food industry. Tossed into a storm of media buzz and bullying, the teen draws the attention of a serial killer who’s targeting the obese. Soon the boy, the nurse, and their loved ones take center stage in a delusional man’s drama.

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You hear it every day – obesity is becoming an epidemic in our country. But what can we do about it? Are we becoming overweight simply because we’re too lazy to exercise and eat right or is something more sinister afoot? Public health nurse Sue Fort is leaning towards the latter.

Jeremy Barton represents a huge portion of our youth these days. He’s the son of a single mother who works two jobs in an effort to keep her head above water. Despite her love for her son, she finds herself feeding him too much fast food and leftovers from the buffet restaurant where she works, just to streamline her life somewhat. Because of this, Jeremy is grossly overweight. As a mother, my heart went out to him in so many ways. I know the struggle to put healthy, tasty meals on the table every night after working a full day. I also know the struggle involved in motivating your children to be active and healthy when you can barely bring yourself to get out of bed in the mornings. It’s a real fight, and the author portrays it in excruciatingly real detail.

The public health nurse that comes to Jeremy’s rescue is Sue Fort. Jeremy describes her as the ‘warrior woman’ from the moment he first sees her in the ER. This is the perfect description for Sue because she essentially goes to war with the food industry over Jeremy and cases like his. At times, Sue was too sunshiney and annoying for my tastes, but she always meant well, even when she temporarily lost sight of her initial goal.

The premise of Eating Bull intrigued me. Having struggled with my weight all my life, I was interested to see how this would all play out. While exciting and suspenseful, this novel was also quite educational as well. I learned a lot of things reading this book, many of which hadn’t ever occurred to me before reading Eating Bull. One of my favorite quotes from the book aptly sums it all up: “Everyone blames the individual. ‘Eat less,’ they say, or ‘take more stairs.’ Yes, those are important things to do, but what these people don’t understand is how hard society makes it.” The thing is, society doesn’t make it tough simply by making fast food and pre-packaged goodies taste so yummy, but they also put this enormous pressure on you to start exercising today and be ten pounds lighter by tomorrow. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. If it did, we’d all be bikini models.

Eating Bull is a medical thriller for the new millennium. Forget that there’s a serial killer targeting overweight people and focus more on the fact that our country in and of itself is trying to kill us all. That alone ought to be enough to keep you awake at night. Well written and engaging, I found myself reluctant to put this book down.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Taste of Honey by Ari McKay

August 1, 2016 By Leave a Comment

HONEY
A Taste of Honey by Ari McKay
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (105 pgs)
Other: M/M, Anal Play
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Boone Phillips needs a girlfriend and fast! His family reunion is approaching, and if he shows up alone, his mother will throw every woman in sight at him. But the only “woman” Boone trusts enough to ask is Honey, the alter ego of his gay, cross-dressing best friend Rob. Desperate, he begs for Rob’s help.

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Between nosey relatives, illegal moonshine, and the sight of Rob in white lace panties, Boone starts to wonder if he’s as straight as he’d thought. When an earth-shattering kiss sends Rob running to protect his heart, however, Boone learns some surprising things about both his family and himself. Now he needs to convince Rob to give him another chance, or else his first taste of Honey might also be his last.

What do you do when the annual family reunion has you scrambling for a date? For most single people, they’d find their closest, best friend and con them into coming along for the weekend. But when your closest, dearest friend happens to be a gay man who dresses in drag a few times a week, well, then things are bound to get interesting.

Boone Phillips is the proverbial boy-next-door. A good southern boy who’d do anything to make his mama happy, even if it means putting his dearest friendship at risk. Despite his belief that he’s happily hetero, his love life is flailing and gasping for life. Generally, when the crushing best friend falls for a guy like Boone, I have to roll my eyes a little. But, in this case, I could see exactly why Rob fell so hard so fast. Sure, he’s handsome, but he’s also sweet, charming, and loyal to a fault. All the things a guy like Rob needs in his life.

Rob Coombs is one of those guys that you hear about. The one that got completely disowned by his family for being something other than what they expected him to be. In Rob’s case, he’s not only gay but also a drag queen. A pretty darn good drag queen at that. His drag persona, Honey, is a total extention of himself and, in many ways, she’s the man he wants to be. Honey’s forthright, determined and unafraid. She’s also an incurable flirt and all around great gal. I loved the way she helped Rob cope with his feelings for Boone as well as bring them together in the end.

I’m going to come right out and say it – I’m a sucker for a guy in drag. The level of confidence it takes to put on a dress and heels – something I don’t even do as a woman – takes more courage than I’ll ever possess. Both Rob and his alter ego, Honey, are portrayed so well that they both come off as complete, separate characters bound by a common thread. It was refreshing to see that although Boone struggled with a lot of things once he and Honey arrived at his mother’s house, he didn’t let any of it get him down while he figured out exactly what he wanted. Although some of his family’s big reveal seemed a bit out of place, I respected the fact there was a little substance to Big Mama’s easy acceptance of all the crazy Boone and Honey brought into her home. Overall, this was an extremely cute and funny story that makes me want to know where they go from here.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Kellen’s Awakening by Angel Martinez & Bellora Quinn

July 20, 2016 By Leave a Comment

AWAKENING
Kellen’s Awakening by Angel Martinez & Bellora Quinn
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (264 pgs)
Other: M/M, Multiple Partners, Anal Play
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

The staff at AURA has had a busy summer. Between chronic understaffing, dealing with warring goblin factions and an unusual number of hazardous Events, everyone is overworked. Sinistrus the incubus, newly hired as an AURA medic, actually enjoys his busy new life of responsible employee and faithful lover to his gorgeous police sergeant, Ness the centaur. Life would be perfect, except for a niggling suspicion about a colleague. Everyone else seems to disagree, but Sin’s certain something’s not right with that pixie.

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These two unlikely heroes must put their differences aside and navigate tragedy and ever-escalating disaster together in order to stop the sinister forces that hold Kellen in thrall.

With an unusual increase in events AURA finds itself even busier than ever. As more and more otherworldly beings arrive, the staff is more than a little overworked. When incubus Sin is forced to deal with the newly crossed-over pixie, Kellen, sparks fly – but not of the pleasant sort. Sin is a ball of sarcasm and Kellen’s an awkward pixie with a secret. When disaster strikes, will they be able to put their differences aside and work together or will they let everything fall apart around them?

The incubus, Sinistrus, has been one of my favorite characters since the beginning. I was elated to find he had such a large role in this third installment. He’s an aggravating mixture of sexy and sarcastic, always quick with a quip or a heated smile. But that’s just part of being an incubus, I suppose. His relationship with the centaur, Nestor, is an interesting one and although an unlikely pairing, they really do balance each other out.

Kellen, a pixie crossover, is the newest addition to the AURA cast. From the very beginning, you know that he’s holding something back, but whether it’s good or bad remains to be seen. As his story began to unfold, I found myself feeling more and more sympathy towards him. By the end, I just wanted to give him a big hug. I was happy to see that, although he’s a pixie, Kellen is a regular-sized being instead of a Tinkerbell sized dragonfly. It makes him more relatable in a sense to have him be the same height and build as an averaged-sized human male.

Kellen’s Awakening is an intense and action packed novel that starts with a jolt and continues on through to the end. There was a character death near the beginning that caught me by surprise and colors the tone of much of the novel, making this a sadder story that the two prior. However, it’s not a depressing story by any stretch because there is so much going on, there isn’t time to get caught up in the loss. It actually makes for a deeper, more emotional story in the end. Each installment brings a better story and more interesting and diverse characters. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next novel.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Saint Underground by Adam Dunn

July 18, 2016 By Leave a Comment

SAINT
Saint Underground by Adam Dunn
Publisher: Dunn Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (320 pgs)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

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With his cover blown and everything up in the air, Special Agent Everett More is back at the NYPD with Detective Sixto Santiago, much to Santiago’s irritation. So when the presidential election of 2016 heats up and the feud begins, it’s up to More and Santiago to get to the bottom of the corruption coloring the election. But will they be able to set old grievances aside long enough to put things right? Or will their version of New York City fall into an even darker depression?

In this third installment of Adam Dunn’s “More” series, things get even more crazy and convoluted. I wasn’t sure that anything could get more insane than the previous two books, but I underestimated the power of Everett “Ever” More. Now that his cover has been blown, he has no real need to be as secretive as he had before. As over the top as More can be, he’s always intriguing in an ‘oh my god what next’ kind of way. His relationship with Santiago is one of the best parts of this series.

NYPD Detective Sixto “Six” Santiago is both amusing and aggravating. He tends to grouch a lot, but when you consider who he’s partnered with, you begin to understand his constant state of annoyance. But he’s a good guy at heart, trying to better himself and get away from More at all costs. Although their relationship is a bit antagonistic, they work well together, even when More has gone a bit off the deep end. His ability not to strangle his partner is probably his greatest strength.

As ever, Saint Underground is an exhilarating rollercoaster ride of a novel. Once the action starts, it doesn’t stop until the end. It’s obvious that the author has done his research although, at times, he’s done too much. When he gets into describing More’s weapons or any of a handful of other items, he does get a bit carried away. The overly detailed passages tend to disrupt the flow of the story for me, detaching me from the action. However, if you’re more familiar with the kinds of weapons and vehicles that the author’s discussing, it might not be as much of a knee-jerk for you. Full of intrigue and politics, this series might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like a thriller with political elements then it’s definitely a good choice.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny by Justin Hill

May 13, 2016 By Leave a Comment

TIGER
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny by Justin Hill
Publisher: Weinstein Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Full Length (320 pgs)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Another life-altering quest, another struggle between honor and lust for power, another generation of warriors forging alliances and enmities. The adventure, romance, and artistry of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon continues in this novelized companion to the first ever Netflix debut film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny based on the novel by Wang Dulu.

And besides, you dash your reputation to levitra prescription on line the rocks with spamming. It enhances blood circulation in body and appalachianmagazine.com lowest price on levitra prevents health risks like impotence naturally. In such case http://appalachianmagazine.com/2018/07/30/appalachian-lingo-the-meaning-of-by-god/ viagra 20mg from trusted online medical store can help him maintain his privacy. Today, there is a global liberalization of drugs and its brand viagra online usage so much so that any drug that doesn’t contain this chemical can’t cure impotency. Seventeen years after the legendary fighter Mubai dies protecting the world-conquering sword The Green Destiny, four great warriors are called together to guard the formidable weapon once more. The forces surrounding the sword irrevocably altered the life of Shulien, Mubai’s lover, but seventeen years later she is still honor-bound to defend the blade from the power-hungry warlord Hades Dai. The young fighters Wei-fang and Snow Vase, switched at birth, also have heritages and inheritances that inextricably link them to both each other and the fate of the sword. And Silent Wolf, Shulien’s former fiancé, returns from presumed death to thwart Hades Dai—and rekindle an emotionally isolated Shulien’s feelings.

Jam-packed with all the hallmarks of an epic adventure—sacrifice, battles, betrayal, vengeance, redemption, and destiny—this saga also explores the deeper meaning of true heroism and virtue. As Wei-fang and Snow Vase search for identity and forge their places in the world of warriors and heroes, Shu-lien and Silent Wolf struggle to reconcile both the traditions and heartbreak of the past with a fragile hope for the future.

Seventeen years have passed since Shulien last set foot in the world at large. Much has changed since then, but even more has stayed irrevocably the same. The lust for power as it battles against honor is an eternal war about to reignite with a group of new, young warriors hungry for fame and honor.

Shulien is a holdover from the first novel and she was by far my favorite. Her way of looking at things was different than anything I’d ever encountered before. She placed herself into exile only to be dragged out into the thick of it, just like any heroine would be in a time of crisis. She handles her forced return to society well, even if she can be a touch cranky at times.

The would-be pairing of Snow Vase and Wei-Fang is an old story, one that we’re all familiar with. They’re on different sides of the battle and yet, are drawn to one another. At first, Snow Vase really got on my nerves. But as I came to understand all she was putting at risk and the mother she was trying to make proud, it all seemed to make sense. Also, once she meets Shulien and later, Wei-Fang, she becomes a more well-rounded character. Wei-Fang is a typical boy. All he wants is to be a great warrior and almost immediately gets himself into trouble because of it. They make one of the best matched couples I’ve seen lately.

Having never read or seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this novel was a new experience for me. Although not my usual reading fare, I found the characters interesting and the story full of action and adventure. I always tend to enjoy novels that visit the next generation, bring the past into the new chapter. The sword play was so well written that even someone unknowledgeable in such arts was easily able to imagine the flow of metal and bodies as the opponents fought. An intriguing and fascinating look at life in a long ago world.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

When Bunnies Go Bad by Clea Simon

May 12, 2016 By Leave a Comment

BAD
When Bunnies Go Bad by Clea Simon
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (255 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

These low levels can also cialis 20 mg decrease the sex drive ion men to a great extent and also in the stamina. You could be suffering from a condition like http://new.castillodeprincesas.com/item-4093 viagra sans prescription low testosterone, or maybe you might just have not been scientifically proved. Hawthorn Berry is known to increase blood circulation around them that in turn lead to more blood to flow to cause an erection. pfizer viagra tablets How do Kamagra tablets work? Sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient found in generic tadalafil no prescription , at Farmasia Suomi – #1 Nettiapteekki. Winter is hard in Beauville, where the melting snow can reveal much more than last season s dead leaves. So when a wealthy, obnoxious tourist and his ski bunny girlfriend surface in Pru Marlowe s little Berkshire town, she knows she should stay out of their way. The bad-girl animal psychic has to focus on more immediate concerns, including a wild rabbit named Henry, supposedly tamed and illegally living with an eighty-four-year-old lady in her home. Henry, who seems to be acting out and hiding, avoids responding to Pru. Yet when Pru discovers the tourist murdered and his girlfriend s high-maintenance spaniel falls to her care, she gets dragged into a complicated case of crime and punishment that involves some new friends, an old nemesis, and her own shadowed past. A recent museum art heist draws the feds into the investigation along with a courtly gentleman radiating menace, who represents secretive business interests in New York and shows a surprising awareness of Pru. Her on-again, off-again romance with police Detective Creighton doesn t stop him from warning her to steer clear of the inquiry. The spaniel, however, lures her in. Pru lives in a world where only her crotchety tabby Wallis knows the whole truth about her past, her flight from Manhattan, and her unique gift that surfaced abruptly one day. Fearing the worst, Pru now comes dangerously close to being exposed. With everything in motion, Pru, Wallis, and everyone they hold dear will be lucky to escape by a hare.”

Despite almost having her degree as an animal behaviorist, Pru Marlowe still struggles to make ends meet. By taking odd jobs walking dogs and helping out around the town, she finds a way to keep herself – and her cat, Wallis – fed and happy. She knows Wallis is happy too, and not just by the tabby’s contented purr. No, Pru has a limited psychic connection with animals of all varieties, which makes her day to day jobs both more difficult and more entertaining. So, when she stumbles across a murdered tourist, it’s only natural she’s going to enlist the aid of the critters all around her.

This was my first Pru Marlowe novel and I can safely say it won’t be my last. Although Pru herself is pretty problematic – she has a million and one personal issues – she’s also kind hearted, intelligent, and loyal. The relationship she has with her cat, Wallis, cracked me up because it reminded me so much of how I interact with my own feline. But the way she conducts herself around other animals’ people is probably her greatest strength. Even when the humans don’t deserve it, she’s polite and straightforward for the sake of the animals she cares for.

Some of the best characters in this novel were the animals. Wallis, Pru’s tabby cat, is a constant source of disdain and entertainment since he serves as Pru’s main confidante. Growler, a dog she walks regularly for a rather unpleasant woman, gives her great insights into what other animals might do and think in certain situations. He’s actually one of my favorite characters in this story because he’s such a gossip, giving Pru a running commentary on the neighborhood animal’s activities every walk. Stewie is a little spaniel who is wrapped up in the murder mystery and all he wants is to go back to his person, and you never really know for sure who that is, until the very end.

Cozy mysteries are one of my favorite genres to read. Adding animals and a touch of the paranormal to it only makes it more fun, as far as I’m concerned. Clea Simon does an excellent job of mixing humor, romance, and mystery into one coherent and exciting tale. The humans are engaging and fun, but the non-human characters are even more so. That the author was able to infuse so much personality into animals that really have no voice – as sometimes all Pru can get from them is a vague sense of their emotions – really amazed me. I’ve already purchased the first book in this series because I can’t wait to start at the beginning and discover how this all started.

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