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Book Review: Beyond Belief: An Emily Castles Mystery by Helen Smith

Beyond Belief: An Emily Castles Mystery by Helen Smith

Thomas & Mercer, 2014

ISBN: 1477849726

Part-time sleuth Emily Castles is coaxed into attending England’s Belief and Beyond Conference, after Perspicacious Peg, a renowned psychic, has predicted that a murder will occur there. Bodies accumulate, and tension rises as the philosophies of science and spiritualism clash, leaving Emily to navigate a colorful cast of characters and solve the mysterious crimes.

This cozy mystery certainly has its charms. It’s cute and witty, with just the right amount of intrigue to keep the pages turning. The rich and varied cast is entertaining and a lot of effort is taken to make them breathe on the page. Unfortunately, that same level of attention to character was not given to writing the protagonist. Emily herself is hardly more than a cipher, and the reader has little insight into what makes her tick.

Still, with its diverse cast and light tone, fans of the quick-read mystery will certainly find this to be their cup of tea.

Recommended for 11 years and up.

 

Reviewed by Bob Freeman

 

Posted on November 14, 2014 by , Reply

Book Review: Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau and Michael Scott

Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau and Michael Scott

St. Martin’s Griffin, 2009

ISBN: 0312565771

Available: Hardcover, Kindle ebook

A serial killer is murdering Hollywood’s celebrities, and Detective Peter King is on the case. King links the crimes to the Scream Queen, and her producer, Ovsanna Moore. Moore has a hideous motive for murder…the dead celebrities were all vampyres, and each had been sired by her.

Barbeau and Scott have produced an inventive take on the vampire mythos, linking it to classic Hollywood filmdom, and using actress Barbeau’s behind-the-scenes knowledge to add rich texture to the narrative. The chapters alternate between the viewpoints of King and Moore as the mystery unfolds in noir-like fashion.

Vampyres of Hollywood is adequately written, and fast-paced, with plenty of action and humor, but it is not for the squeamish or fainthearted. The violence is brutal and sometimes over-the-top, and there is plenty of adult-only content. That said, it’s a fast and enjoyable read for mature audiences. Recommended.

Contains: sexual content, graphic gore and violence.

Reviewed by Bob Freeman

Posted on November 14, 2014 by , Reply

Help a Reader Out: Supernatural Fiction Collection With An Orange and Yellow Cover

A reader over at Too Much Horror Fiction is looking for this one:

I am trying to identify one in particular published in the early-mid 1970s. It featured cover art with bright orange and yellow flame and background hues, with illustrations of skeletal and spirit figures with a castle. The collection was really presented as a genre study of sorts, and was very well organized around the nature of the supernatural threat: psychological threat, physical threat, etc. The collection was broad but included many classics in gothic, Victorian and early 20th century fiction.

 

Can anyone figure this one out?

 

Edit: The book has been identified. It is Ghosts, Castles and Victims Tales of Gothic Horror edited by Jack C. Wolf and Barbara H. Wolf.

Posted on November 13, 2014 by , Reply
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