Tag: paranormal mystery

Past Life’s Revenge (A David Harris and Emma Jackson Mystery) by Angela Van Breemen Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A man discovers that in his most recent past life, he was murdered, and his murderer is still alive in author Angela Van Breemen’s “Past Life’s Revenge”, part of A David Harris and Emma Jackson Mystery series.

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The Synopsis

Have you ever had a dream that was so real, you were sure it was from a past life?

Since childhood, David Harris has suffered from debilitating nightmares. He has sought the advice of psychiatrists and other health professionals without obtaining any relief. When he meets an attractive young psychic, Emma Jackson, she encourages him to seek the help of her friend Anna Tungsten, a hypnotherapist. During an emotionally charged past life regression, David learns he was murdered in his most recent past life, thirty years earlier. When David realizes his murderer is still alive, he cannot move on and a build a new life with Emma until he has exacted revenge and stopped the murderer from killing again.

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The Review

This was such a compelling and thought-provoking thriller. The author does a remarkable job of creating characters that readers can engage with and become invested in their journey. The action and suspense of the main journey and the tension that threaded its way into the narrative made this a remarkable story. 

Yet the balance the author struck between mystery, suspense, and paranormal thriller really stood out to this reader. The concept of past lives and our connection to the universe as a whole stood out to me, and the twists and turns in the overall narrative as the protagonists delved deeper into this past life cemented the two protagonists as driven and capable characters that can drive readers further and further into this new paranormal mystery series. 

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The Verdict

Memorable, thoughtful, and entertaining author Angela van Breemen’s “Past Life’s Revenge” is a must-read mystery and paranormal thriller. The shocking revelations and the equally shocking twists that take the protagonists to the edge emotionally and physically will have readers eager to delve deeper into this new series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Angela van Breemen is delighted to have completed her first novel, Past Life’s Revenge, a crime thriller with a twist of spiritualism. She is an avid writer of poetry, belongs to the Wordsmiths Writers’ Groupbased out of New Tecumseth, Ontario and is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and the South Simcoe Arts Council. Angela is a Soprano Soloist.

A firm believer in giving back to the community, she often sings for different charitable organizations. Music and poetry have been an integral part of her life, and in early 2024 she launched her debut album, In The Breeze. Celtic in nature, it includes three original pieces of music, based on her poetry.

Angela volunteers for Procyon Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre, a group dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and safe release of orphaned and injured Ontario wildlife.

About Angela

Return of the Grudstone Ghosts (Canadian Chills) by Arthur Slade Review 

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Students at a Canadian school must discover the haunting secrets of the Grudstone school that resided where their school is now, and face the terrifying evil threatening to let loose on the world in author Arthur Slade’s “Return of the Grudstone Ghosts”, part of the author’s Canadian Chills series.

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The Synopsis

Terror stalks the halls of St. Wolcott School . . .

When Daphne’s sixth-grade teacher, Miss Vindez, plummets from the belfry of St. Wolcott School, Daphne and her friends Nick and Peach are plunged into a mystery that includes a long-ago fire that left behind twelve dead schoolchildren, tiny ghosts with nowhere to go, and an ancient evil just dying to break through into modern-day Moose Jaw.

Miss Vindez survives her fall, but things just aren’t the same–she’s spouting gibberish, and both Principal Peterka and the school janitor are definitely not themselves at all anymore.

Determined to get to the bottom of what’s going on, Daphne, Nick, and Peach dig up the troubled history of Grudstone, the school that used to stand where St. Wolcott is now. They uncover evidence of a crime so terrible it can hardly be believed. Worse, the terrifying perpetrator of that crime isn’t done yet–he has more horrible plans in mind. And all that stands in his way are three Moose Jaw school kids.

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The Review

This was such a fun and exhilarating read. The author does a remarkable job of combining paranormal mystery and school-age adventure in a way that feels somehow natural and relatable to young readers who have always felt that close-knit relationship amongst their friends as they seek out new adventures. The imagery and fast-paced narrative instantly draw the reader in as the mystery unravels.

The history and local culture in Canada was a unique aspect of the story, as it drew readers to the history of this area of Canada and the era in which gangsters hid contraband in hidden tunnels, harkening back to the early 20th century and the era of Prohibition in America as well. The heartfelt connection that the reader makes with the protagonists as they discover new clues and hidden pasts within the school grounds will keep them invested.

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The Verdict

Adventurous, entertaining, and thrilling, author Arthur Slade’s “Return of the Grudstone Ghosts” is a must-read paranormal YA thriller. The narrative’s twists and turns, the relatability of the protagonists, and the spooky yet heartfelt nature will keep readers returning to this series time and time again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

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Arthur Slade was raised on a ranch in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan. He is the author of twenty five novels for young readers including The Hunchback Assignments, which won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and Dust, winner of the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature. His lifetime of work has also received the prestigious Kloppenburg Award for Literary Excellence.  All of these awards mean that when he drinks tea he has to raise his pinky. It’s very fancy. He lives in Saskatoon, Canada. 

P.S. He does all of his writing on a treadmill desk. And he listens to heavy metal. At the same time.

https://www.arthurslade.com/bio

Never Say Sever in Deadwood (Deadwood Humorous Mystery Series Book 12) by Ann Charles Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A strange break-in at a local taxidermy brings a young woman with a bounty on her head into contact with local troublemakers in author Ann Charles’s “Never Say Sever in Deadwood”, the twelfth entry into the Deadwood Humorous Mystery Series. 

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The Synopsis

All Violet Parker wants is a day off. Better yet, just a “normal” day. But things never go as planned, especially in Deadwood.

Someone—or rather something—broke into the local taxidermy shop and took bites out of the critter displays before racing off into the dark. But this is no random crime and Violet knows it. With a bounty on her head and troublemakers zeroing in on her, she soon goes from being the hunter to the hunted.

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The Review

This was such a humorous yet action-packed paranormal mystery. The use of the supernatural in this story was perfect, as it added just enough action and suspense to the narrative to balance out the natural chemistry and wit of the characters that populated this narrative. The use of imagery in the author’s writing style helped elevate the story, as it brought this mixture of Western meets modern paranormal fiction to life in an almost cinematic way.

The characters once again dominate this series, as the protagonist’s sharp wit meets the driven mindset of the cast of characters in this town. The crisp winter setting and tension creep into the reader as the constant threat of both the bounty and the enemies she faces make themselves known quite well as the narrative progresses. The moments of warmth, romance, and hilarity brought fantastic banter and a perfect reprieve from the drama and chilling paranormal forces at work.

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The Verdict

Memorable, thoughtful, and compelling author Ann Charles’s “Never Say Never in Deadwood” is a must-read paranormal mystery thriller. The twists and turns the protagonist faces, and the shocking events that jump-start this new mystery will keep readers hooked and eager to continue in this long-running series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Ann Charles is a USA Today bestselling author who writes award-winning mysteries that are splashed with humor, romance, paranormal, and whatever else sounds fun. A member of Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America for many moons, she has a BA in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington. When Ann is not holed up in her writing lair working on her next book, she’s hanging out with her family and basking in the Arizona sunshine.

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TimeReaping in Deadwood (Deadwood Humorous Mystery Book 13) by Ann Charles Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

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A woman’s new role as a TimeKeeper brings her into conflict with an imp and brushes against the Grim Reaper himself in author Ann Charles’s “TimeReaping in Deadwood”, the thirteenth entry in the Deadwood Humorous Mystery series!

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The Synopsis

Time is a tricky devil. And so is that blasted imp!

Violet Parker needs to catch the little terror before it wreaks even more havoc in the Black Hills. But now that she’s saddled with this dang Timekeeper gig, she has a lot to juggle, like the real monsters wanting to tear the flesh from her bones just for fun.

If she can’t figure out how to wrangle “time” to save her family, the Grim Reaper might come swinging for them next.

But what about that danged honey-loving imp?

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The Review

This was a captivating and action-packed mystery read. The author does a great job of balancing the human aspect of this story with the supernatural aspect, in multiple ways. From the balance, the author strikes in the protagonist’s life with her work life and her after-hours, slayer time, to the antagonists the protagonist faces, from her human foes in her home and work life to the monsters she must face and the chaos imp that pushes this narrative forward.

To me, the heart of this story rested in the imagery of this paranormal romance and mystery novel with the down-to-earth, grounded character development of the story. The detail that went into the writing was truly compelling, as it allowed the reader to visualize in their mind’s eye the gritty supernatural world that lies just under the surface of our own. The way the characters interact with one another and the dialogue between them really made the characters come to life on the page and made them feel alive and relatable all at the same time.

The Verdict

Thoughtful, entertaining, and memorable, author Ann Charles’s “TimeReaping in Deadwood” is a must-read paranormal mystery and romance novel and a great continuation of the Deadwood Humorous Mystery series. The twists and turns in the narrative, and the heart and imagery that goes into the story, made this a truly immersive reading experience and one book you won’t want to miss out on this holiday season. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Ann Charles is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes award-winning books that are splashed with humor, mystery, suspense, romance, supernatural elements, and whatever else sounds fun.

Currently, she has many fiction books available in several different on-going series.

From her ongoing multi-award winning Deadwood Mystery Series:

NEARLY DEPARTED IN DEADWOOD (book 1–multiple award-winning book for both mystery and romance/mystery);

OPTICAL DELUSIONS IN DEADWOOD (book 2);

DEAD CASE IN DEADWOOD (book 3-one of Suspense Magazine’s BEST OF 2012 books);

BETTER OFF DEAD IN DEADWOOD (book 4);

AN EX TO GRIND IN DEADWOOD (book 5–Grand Prize winner in Chanticleer Review’s Paranormal category;

MEANWHILE, BACK IN DEADWOOD (book 6–one of Suspense Magazine’s BEST OF 2015 books);

A WILD FRIGHT IN DEADWOOD (book 7–one of Suspense Magazine’s BEST OF 2016 books);

RATTLING THE HEAD IN DEADWOOD (book 8)

GONE HAUNTING IN DEADWOOD (book 9)

DON’T LET IT SNOW IN DEADWOOD (book 10)

DEVIL DAYS IN DEADWOOD (book 11)

NEVER SAY SEVER IN DEADWOOD (book 12)

(Book 13 coming in early 2023)

Also available from Ann are the first five books in her Jackrabbit Junction Mystery Series:

DANCE OF THE WINNEBAGOS (book 1)

JACKRABBIT JUNCTION JITTERS (book 2)

THE GREAT JACKALOPE STAMPEDE (book 3)

THE ROWDY COYOTE RUMBLE (book 4)

A Thanksgiving novella titled, THE WILD TURKEY TANGO (book 4.5)

A Christmas novella titled, JACKRABBIT JINGLE BALLS (book 4.7)

IN CAHOOTS WITH THE PRICKLY PEAR POSSE (book 5)

TWISTY TORTOISE TUSSLES (book 6)

LOOK WHAT THE WIND BLEW IN (book 1) and MAKE NO BONES ABOUT IT (book 2), the first two books in her Dig Site Mystery-Archaeology series set in the Maya jungle, are available on Amazon, too. These books star Quint Parker, the brother of Violet Parker–the heroine in her Deadwood Mystery series. They are filled with mystery, humor, adventure, and a plenty of heat.

She has a western paranormal Deadwood Undertaker Series in process that is co-written with Sam Lucky:

LIFE AT THE COFFIN JOINT (book 1)

A LONG WAY FROM ORDINARY (book 2

CAN’T RIDE AROUND IT (book 3)

CATAWAMPUS CHRISTMAS CAROL (book 3.5)

THE BACKSIDE OF HADES (book 4)–coming in Fall 2022

She has several short stories as well–DEADWOOD SHORTS: SEEING TROUBLE (book 1.5), BOOT POINTS (book 4.5), COLD FLAME (book 6.5), TEQUILA & TIME (book 8.5), and FATAL TRADITIONS (book 10.5). These are all short stories from her Deadwood Mystery Series. Also, she has THE OLD MAN’S BACK IN TOWN, a short story from her future Goldwash Mystery Series.

In addition, Ann has two novellas in the AC Silly Circus Co. Mystery series: FERAL-LY FUNNY FREAKSHOW and A BUNCH OF MONKEY MALARKEY.

Stay tuned for more new books by Ann coming soon!

Ann has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Western Writers of America. She is currently toiling away on her next book, wishing she was on a Mexican beach with an ice-cold Corona in one hand and a book in the other. When she is not dabbling in fiction, she is arm wrestling with her two kids, attempting to seduce her husband, and arguing with her sassy cats. You can find her on all major social media platforms.

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