[TSS] Review: Opal Fire by Barbra Annino (Stacy Justice Mystery #1)

I am always on the lookout for a new mystery series and I was particularly happy to find this one because its a paranormal mystery. Since I enjoyed Sookie Stackhouse so much I was on the lookout for something along those lines. Well, I believe I've found it with Stacy Justice. 

Stacy lives in Amethyst, Illinois, where she works as a journalist for the local paper. Her grandmother, Birdie, and two great-aunts run a bed and breakfast there and another aunt owns the bakery. Her best friend and cousin, Cinnamon, runs one of the local bars called The Black Opal.  

Amethyst is a close-knit town but the residents tend to raise their eyebrows at Stacy's family for their strange beliefs. You see, they are witches. They don't flaunt their actions but they have been known to hold odd ceremonies with their capes, chanting strange verses from time to time. Though Stacy isn't sure she believes all the witch stuff, she loves her family dearly, so she listens with an open mind, albeit a skeptical one. She hasn't fully accepted the fact that her elders believe she has powers of her own. 

Being the investigative reporter she is, when The Black Opal mysteriously catches fire and almost burns down, Stacy does everything she can to find out what happened. Things get complicated when a body is discovered in the cellar of the bar and Stacy begins to experience some not-so-natural episodes. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes for her and her family. 

My Thoughts:

This book turned out to be exactly what I thought it would be: A fun story with a good mystery, entertaining characters and a little magic thrown in. Its not over-the-top with the paranormal element, which I like. Its a quick read that has a lot of humor throughout.  I laughed out loud many times. The dynamic between Stacy and her cousin, Cinnamon, is loving and well-worn. By that I mean, its obvious these two have been close for a long time and they know everything about each other, the way best friends do. 

Along with the mystery of the fire and the dead body in the basement, the end of the book sets up what will surely be a big part of future installments. I enjoyed reading this first book and I'm sure I will continue with the series. There are four books so far, with the most current being released this past July. Amazon is offering these books at the Kindle Store at a great price. I took advantage of that and downloaded them all.. 

If you're looking a fun, paranormal series, this would make a great choice. Sometimes I need something light and quick as a change of pace. With the Halloween season fast approaching, this would be the perfect time to get started.

OPAL FIRE (Stacy Justice Mystery #1) Kindle Version

Author: Barbra Annino

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Published: December 18,  2012

Length: 289 pp

How I Found Out About This Book: Kindle Daily Deals

Review: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #4)

The Southern Vampire series featuring telepath Sookie Stackhouse, a cocktail waitress from Bon Temps, LA, and written by the amazing Charlaine Harris has become my favorite guilty pleasures.  I've been taking my time reading these books, mainly my 'in-between' reads.  I have enjoyed all four I've read but DEAD TO THE WORLD is my favorite by far. Here's a quick rundown on what this installment is about but don't worry, I won't give anythingt away.

THE BOOK


After Sookie and a few of her two-natured friends rescue vampire Bill Compton in book 3, CLUB DEAD, she is looking forward to some piece and quiet without any drama. But, as usual, drama is always looking for Sookie. And it finds her on her way home from Merlottes's, the bar where she works, late one night. To her amazement, she runs across Eric, the Sheriff of Area 5, and owner of Fangtasia, a very successful vampire bar in Shreveport. She nearly runs him over with her car and upon stopping, discovers that he is not only buck-naked, but completely without his memory.  He has no idea how he got there, why he is naked and most frightening of all, he doesn't know who he is.

Never before has she felt such compassion for this normally over-confident, arrogant, not to mention very sexy vampire. But she can't help herself. Obviously, someone has put a spell on Eric which has turned him into a vulnerable, even likable vampire and Sookie simply cannot turn her back on him no matter how much she may end up regretting it later.

While Sookie and the other vamps try to figure out who - or what - has done this to Eric, she agrees to let him stay with her at her family home for his own protection. To make matters even worse, her brother Jason, has become missing and no one seems to know where he is. So Sookie, once again has her plate full.  Between worrying about her brother, taking care of Eric while concealing his presence at her house, Sookie is stretched pretty thin. Complicating the situation further is having this helpless, vulnerable version of Eric in her home. She is taken off guard by the innocence and caring nature of this new Eric. She must keep reminding herself that things will surely return to normal once the culprit is exposed and the spell is reversed.

MY THOUGHTS


OK, I've already mentioned that this is my favorite book so far and now I'll tell you why.  First and foremost, even though I am a Bill Compton fan, I've always enjoyed the chemistry between Eric and Sookie and Harris has taken it to a whole new level with this latest twist.

Another plus is that with each adventurous installment, we are introduced to more magical creatures. In this book, we encounter witches, faeries and even the deadly werepanthers. But Harris weaves these new characters masterfully with the already established vampires and shapeshifters. It makes for a great landscape of exciting storytelling.

I love that each new book starts within days of the previous books ending. It is like one continuous story and nothing is lost in between. I love the characters, old and new, in this book and the mystery of Jason's disappearance and Eric's spell makes for a very interesting ride. I love the unexpected change in Sookie's relationship with Eric, even though I'm a die-hard Bill Compton fan. I must warn you though - some of the scenes with Eric and Sookie are hot, Hot, HOT!! Charlain Harris has done a fantastic job with DEAD TO THE WORLD and makes me want to dive right into the next book! If you're looking for something different, quick and fun to read, pick up a Sookie Stackhouse mystery and you will not be disappointed!

DEAD TO THE WORLD
Author:  Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Published: 2004
Pages: 304
Rating 4.5 out of 5

[TSS] The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

For Sarah Carrier's family life was always hard. As it was for most people living in Andover, Massachusetts in 1690. For nine year-old Sarah, her two older brothers, her baby sister and her parents, hard times seemed to follow them. They fled their home in Billerica to escape smallpox which was spreading rampantly throughout the villages killing entire families. In cover of night, they traveled to Andover to live with Sarah's maternal grandmother with the hopes of starting a new life there. What they would learn later is that their oldest boy, Andrew was already carrying the deadly virus and bringing it to Andover with them.

To say the townspeople didn't take to the Carrier family is an understatement. Martha Carrier, Sarah's mother, was an extremely strong-willed woman who wouldn't back down from anyone. She had a wicked tongue and a way with words that left people speechless and sometimes a little scared. Especially with all the talk of witches in nearby Salem Village.

With the local minister fanning the flames of witchery, the rumors grew and Martha Carrier became the main target of his fury. Sarah and her mother didn't share the closeness many mothers and daughters do and the talk of spells and witchcraft made Sarah as much of an outcast as her mother. She tried not to, but she blamed her mother for how their family was treated. Sarah, herself had questions, but was too afraid of the answers to ask them. There was also the mysterious red book her mother wrote in and kept hidden away that supposedly contained the story of her father's previous life. Perhaps the book would explain why people seemed to be afraid of her father and always avoided him.

Once the arrests for witchcraft began in and around Salem, it was only a matter of time before Martha Carrier would be arrested. Sarah and her family tried to prepare themselves for the inevitable, but nothing they imagined could have prepared them for what would soon happen to their family.

THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER begins with a letter written in 1752 from Sarah Carrier to her own granddaughter, in the final days of her life. She wishes to explain their family's heritage so that this new young Sarah will have an understanding of where she comes from and the legacy she carries. After the letter, the first chapter starts in 1690 with Sarah as the narrator and continues as such throught the rest of the book.

When this book first came out last September, I had never read anything about the Salem Witch Trials and I was very curious about the story. In the last year, I've become very attached to historical fiction and this book is a perfect example of why I've come to enjoy this genre so much. THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER is rich in history and the characters are so well developed and believable. Some may think the book a bit slow in the beginning, as I did at first. But in further thinking, I changed my opinion. I think it was important to establish the tone of the story and to get to know the characters, which makes the story what it is. A fascinating, sometimes unfathomable tale of a very strange time in our country's early history.

Sarah Carrier was my favorite character in the book for her strength and courage along with her yearning to be loved as all little girls want to be loved by their mothers. I believe Kathleen Kent did a fantastic job of recreating this part of history and weaving into it a story of the family she is descended from. If you like historical fiction, you will most assuredly enjoy reading this book. And after reading it, I feel it couldn't have been titled anything else. THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER is perfect.

THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER

Author: Kathleen Kent

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published: September2008

Pages: 352

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (Highly Recommended)