you in danger, girl
Alyssa Mann is turning 40, and she is not happy about it. She could have made plans with friends, but instead she just wanted to stay home, eat ice cream, and drink wine. Every since her husband died in a car accident two years ago, Alyssa has spent more time at home. But then her two best friends show up to take her out, especially since it’s Thursday, and that’s Wine Night. With reservations at Alyssa’s favorite Mexican place, the promise of queso and margaritas, and talk about a tarot reading after dinner, the three set out for an epic birthday celebration.
But it was what came after that turned Alyssa’s life upside down. At the back of Cori’s Nail Salon, located in a rundown strip mall, Cori did her tarot readings. As a medium, she had clients who would come specifically for a reading and some who came to try to contact those who had gone before. Alyssa’s friends wanted the tarot reading, but she wanted to try to speak to her husband Garrett. But as soon as the women all sat around the table and Alyssa joined hands with Cori, she was struck with a powerful energy strike, so strong it caused Cori to leave the table and gulp down gin. But neither of Alyssa’s friends felt anything.
It wasn’t until later that night that Alyssa started to wrap her mind about what happened, when she’d been awakened by a man in her bedroom saying that she had summoned him. She screams and runs out of the house, right next door to the single detective who lives there. Nick goes to check out her house and finds no one there. But when she remembers that the man had said his name was Billy Garet, Nick stops. He uses her laptop to pull up a photo of Billy, and Alyssa verifies that was who she saw. Nick tells her that it’s not possible. Billy Garet is dead.
Alyssa admits she must have dreamed it all, to get Nick out of her house and giving herself a chance to try to figure out what’s going on. Cori tells her that somehow they must be connected, but Alyssa is at a loss as to know why, and Billy can’t remember everything that was happening before he died, so he’s not all that much help either. But as Alyssa taps more into her abilities and investigates Billy’s death (and life), the more she thinks that he may have been killed the same way her husband was. But Billy’s death was intentional. Is it possible that her husband was murdered too?
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is a laugh-out-loud mystery that blends the supernatural with the murder mystery in a way that’s irresistibly charming. Mom and widow Alyssa and her newfound ability to speak to the dead offers up moments of surprise, humor, and poignancy along with some snappy repartee worthy of siblings who had too much sugar. This book is sweet and smart and layered and funny, and I will be hoping these characters show up again in another book. I really like them, and I’d love to hang out with them again.
Egalleys for An Enchanting Case of Spirits were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.
