Book review: Cold as Death by T.J. MacGregor

Cold As Death - T.J. MacGregor

Synopsis:
After psychic and bookshop owner, Mira Morales, has a vision of a burning house, a woman on fire, and a boy being kidnapped, she finds herself searching through the old house on Mango Hill where she discovers the dead body of a woman, whose spirit still hovers in the room where she was murdered.
But unlike in her vision, this woman is not burnt, and Mira discovers that she was the housekeeper of Oscar-winning actress Suki Nichols, her womanising husband Paul, and their 13-year-old son Adam, who is now missing.
Along with FBI agent and former lover Wayne Sheppard, Mira tries to work out how her initial vision is linked to Adam’s kidnapping, and tries to sort through the flood of following apparitions in order to determine the young boy’s whereabouts.
With Adam missing, his dangerous captor after Mira, and the death toll rising, they have to solve the case before something happens that none of them can predict.

What I gained from reading this book:
Mira’s psychic abilities are showcased to the extreme in this book, and it made me think of the many times when psychics have provided the missing links in murder and kidnapping cases. Although I maintain a healthy scepticism about most supposed psychics, I believe that there are some people out there who have a gift. Considering these people have helped to solve similar cases, it’s quite interesting to read about Mira’s experiences, and imagine that they have been recreated in real life at one time or another.

Positives:
The author is very skilled at mixing the murder mystery genre with paranormal themes that extend along the lines of ghosts, psychic visions and supernatural energy.
Through Mira’s ability to see things from the past, readers are able to piece together the story and connect the characters to their roles in the drama.

Negatives:
There were several spelling mistakes in the copy of the book that I read, especially towards the end, which distracted me from the storyline. Besides these errors, there wasn’t too much that stopped me from enjoying the novel. People who dislike novels that deal with ghosts and the supernatural however, may not enjoy the book as much, especially since these themes run throughout the story.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

Recommended for: Anybody in need of a ghost story with interweaving storylines, murder and mayhem.

Book review: The stone prince by Gena Showalter

The Stone Prince - Gena Showalter

Synopsis:
Tomboy Katie James suffers from First-Date Syndrome, meaning that she is unable to show an interest in a man past the first date, and always manages to find a fault in each one. With this problem seemingly plaguing her chances of ever finding the man of her dreams, Katie throws herself into buying and renovating old houses for a living.
After she purchases an old mansion that features a garden filled with erotically- positioned statues, Katie becomes intrigued with a statue of one man in particular, forming an attraction to it that even she recognises as bizarre.
One night, after repeatedly ignoring temptation, Katie finds herself kissing the statue, only for it to come to life, breaking the curse that had trapped an alien man known as Jorlan en Sarr within. With sexy warrior Jorlan now free from the statue’s confines, Katie learns that his jealous half-brother, a Druinn High Priest, had cursed him to a life of stone for centuries until a fair maiden’s kiss could set him free.
Now Jorlan only has two weeks to make Katie fall in love with him, and break his evil brother’s curse forever, or risk being trapped in marble for all eternity.

What I gained from reading this book:
This book is proof that people have different perceptions of what beauty is, and shows that attractions can come in many forms. Katie believes herself to be too tall and plain, yet Jorlan sees her for the beautiful woman that she is. Likewise, she is able to see beyond his good looks and discover the true, softer nature that he hides deep within his warrior exterior.

Positives:
Showalter’s knack for weaving paranormal tales out of seemingly ordinary circumstances continues to astound me. Her novels all feature strong and determined women who are able to find love in the most extraordinary places, and despite the fact that her novels involve magic and enchantments, Showalter is able to make the stories seem almost believable.

Negatives:
This book has strong supernatural themes so if you don’t really appreciate romance novels with magical elements then this probably is not the best choice for you.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Recommended for: Any Gena Showalter fan

Book Review: The Last Of The Red-Hot Vampires by Katie MacAlister

The Last Of The Red-Hot Vampires - Katie MacAlister

Synopsis:
Portia Harding is a physicist, and believes that everything can be explained by logic and science. When she accompanies her best friend Sarah on a three-week ‘supernatural safari’ to England, Scotland and Wales to seek out ethereal beings, she is initially pessimistic about the supposed ‘magic’ in the air. That is, until she finds herself in the company of a supernatural individual named Hope, who gives her a gift that allows her to control elements of the weather.
With this gift comes the arrival of the handsome Theondre North, the bastard son of an angel, who wants to change his fate- and needs Portia’s help to do it. But in their encounters with creatures from both the heavenly and hellish realms, Portia inadvertently gets Theo turned into a vampire. With time on the line, Portia has to not only find a way to understand the supernatural world, but save her new love’s soul.

What I gained from reading this book:
This book was relatively entertaining, and introduces a whole new aspect to the supernatural and vampire themes of the genre. The reader is treated to whole new societies, with an emphasis on the existence of worlds other than the one that we live in.

Positives:
This novel is perfect for people who enjoy love stories with a twist. The relationship between Portia and Theo is tumultuous but loving, and Theo’s vampirism adds uniqueness to the situation.

Negatives:
MacAlister’s characters, although charming, tend to be on the excessive side. Although Portia is strong-willed and determined, she also comes across as abrupt and irritatingly distrusting- especially at the beginning of the novel, when she questions every single thing that happens during their trip. Surely it’s not possible for someone to be so logical and scientific about everything? But luckily she softens towards the middle of the book and readers are able to relate to her more.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Supernatural Romance

Recommended for: People interested in paranormal universes



Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below: