Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Played ( Paranormal Penny Nicols Cozy Mysteries Book 5)

Author:    Sarah Hualde
Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Digital Book
ASIN #:    B08HYTT2TK
Indie Christian Writers
130 Pages
$3.99 Amazon
October 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


A journey into the past has Penny spinning...

and the Raven plotting.

Chasing the trail of the PI who stalked her, Penny returns to her old haunts -- no matter how painful the trip might be.  Old friends and secret enemies surface in the last place Penny called home.  Her glimpses come out to play with a few new twists and tricks.

Can Penny find whoever is searching for her before the Raven shuts down her investigation -- forever?

One thing is for sure: the Raven loathes a reunion.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Penny Nicols has a 'gift,' but doesn't like it much.  She can tell when someone is about to die -- usually by seeing a Raven somewhere on or near them.  She moves around a lot, because it avoids the questions that usually follow -- questions she doesn't want to answer or people might not believe.  She lives in an old VW bus, along with her cat, Spades, and tries to keep to herself, earning just enough money to live on.

Currently she's working as a barista in a coffee shop for Ken and Janice, the owners; and their lazy son, Terrence.  When Janice asks her to breakfast one morning, Penny sees the Raven -- her harbinger of death -- near Janice.  Now she needs to find a way to keep Janice alive.  But if she does that, it might anger the Raven, and someone else might die.  How can she save everyone?  Obviously, she can't...

This is the first book in the series that I've read, and I must say that I found it quite interesting.  The plot line is different, and our protagonist has a gift I've never read before.  Not that it would be nice knowing her at all; not with her 'issue' hovering about; but the book itself is quite a good read, and I did enjoy it immensely.

I won't say too much more as to give away the entire plot, but I will say that it was nicely done, with many surprises along the way, and most of those only adding to Penny's problems.  She finds herself in the midst of something totally unexpected, and her main goal is keeping herself alive along the way.  When the ending comes, it is both sad and hopeful, as we want Penny to gain the things she's been looking for, and maybe hope comes in the most unexpected sources.  Recommended.

I received an advance copy from the author and Booksprout, but it in no way influenced my review.



More on Sarah Hualde's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/sarah-hualde/

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