Jaime Lee MoyerRezensionen

3.5 stars

It’s 1919 in San Francisco. When Delia and Gabe, Sophie and Jack (and their two kids), and Sam and Libby head to a parade, they never expected a riot to break out. Not only a riot, but then gunfire and explosions. Gabe and Jack are police so they go to help. Delia is a “spiritualist” – she can see ghosts; not only that, Sophie’s young son Connor sees them, too, but he is too young to do anything about it and they scare him. Delia does what she can to protect him. She also noticed the people who ended up rioting had something odd happen just before the riot. Once again, Delia and her friend Dora (also a spiritualist) must help Gabe solve this mystery.

I liked this. This is the third (and final, I’m guessing?) in a series. The POV changes between Gabe and Delia. Like the 2nd book, I think I liked Gabe’s storyline a bit better. I really liked the police officer, Jordan Lynch, whom they brought in from Chicago. There were a few times I really didn’t like Dora. I would continue with this series if it was to keep going (and would hope Jordan Lynch would continue to be in it, as well), but I see there aren’t (currently) more and this was published in 2015, so I’m not sure how likely another one is. It also kind of ended in a way that appears that there is unlikely to be more in the series.½

Boy, Gabe and Jack sure killed the heck out of the baddie in the end. That was rather satisfying.

Liked the atmosphere and the main characters in this one. Looks like it might be the start of a series, and I would certainly pick up another book about Delia and co. The combination of ghost story and murder mystery was done well (maybe a little too well-one night when I was walking my dog in the dark, I was constantly on the lookout for ghosts and serial killers).

I do wish the author hadn't switched back and forth between first and third person, depending on if we were with Gabe or Delia. It would have worked fine all in third person or all in first person, still alternating between characters, and I would have liked it more. I don't know why she didn't consult me first.

I also felt like matters of disbelief were resolved rather quickly. On the one hand, it was refreshing not to have the story move in predictable patterns, in which the people in touch with the spirit world spend lots of time convincing the unbelievers. On the other, it didn't always ring true, especially Matt Ryan's quick turnaround from scoffer to believer.

Still a good read that got inside my head.

3.5 stars

It’s 1917. Delia sees ghosts, and lately there have been a lot of them following her detective husband Gabe around. Gabe is now investigating what looks like a ritual murder. As Gabe and his partner/friend, Jack, continue in their investigation, they discover more and more people who have disappeared. Sometimes Delia and her mentor/friend Dora are brought in to help Gabe and Jack with their cases, and this appears to be needed this time around.

This is the second book in a series. The chapters alternate between Delia and Gabe, and in this one, I found Gabe’s murder investigation more interesting than Delia’s ghosts. In my opinion, this wasn’t nearly as good as the first book. It’s been a few years, so I can’t compare directly, but the first one did make my favourites that year. This one – there was a lot going on – a lot of action – and I’m usually interested in ghosts, as well as murder mysteries, but this one didn’t pull me in as much. I’m still rating it “good”. There is currently one more book in the series (I’m not sure if it ends at a trilogy, or if she’s writing more for the series) and I will be reading it.½

Blurbed this with: "Divine Heretic rewrites Joan of Arc's life with heart and humanity, creating surprising new twists in the tale we all think we know."

To add to that, this book made me so darn ANXIOUS all the way through because I was in dread of the ending, but wow. Try to shove aside your expectations. Be ready for anything, and enjoy.

Marian put Robin of Locksley behind her years ago when he deserted her for the Church. Now the Merry Men are dying and Friar Tuck is convinced only Marian’s Craft can solve the mystery. The estranged pair must join forces to avenge their friends, but Robin’s fervent beliefs are as poisonous as his long-kept secrets…

Jaime Lee Moyer folds in familiar characters as she sets up her tale. We meet Tuck and Little John; Marian mourns Will Scarlet (whose death instigates her quest); there’s even a sly nod to Alan-a-Dale’s role in making Robin more a myth than a man. This is a story that takes a flamboyant myth and allows at least a grain of truth to it. And then it says fuck it, stirs in magic (for Marian is a witch) and the Fae to give us a greenwood that's perhaps more Robin of Sherwood than Prince of Thieves.

The joy for me here is that it puts Marian at the heart of the story, a middle-aged mother who goes on a mission to save her friends. While I loved the magical elements (Moyer gives me my kind of Fae, glittering, dangerous and untrustworthy), Brightfall is at its best when it focuses on the commonplace: the down to earth details of parenting, contrasting sibling bonds, tensions between estranged lovers, the twin arrows of guilt and grief. Worth a look.

Full review

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.½

A decade or so after the story for which Robin Hood and Maid Marian became legends, Brightfall looks in on Robin and Marian. Life has changed a great deal, with Robin trying to become a monk and Marian as a wise woman in Sherwood forest, raising their twins after he repudiated her. She has moved on, finding love again. But when her lover is found dead in a strange manner, she is drawn into a plot that dates back many years and involves magic and broken promises.

An absolutely lovely book full of adventure, magic, and thwarted love and ambition. We see how life has treated Robin, Marian, and the Merry Men over the years, and it has not always been kind. Wonderful writing brings the medieval period, with its living magic, to full flower.

I'm hoping this is the first book in a series, but it does well as a standalone too.

Not all is well in Nottingham forest. Several ex-Merry Men,companions of Robin Hood, and their family members are found dead. The circumstances are a bit suspicious as they are all found staring in the void without any visible cause of death. Robin has left his Marian(and their two children )some twelve years previously and entered a monastery(where Brother Tuck is the abbot).Why he did so is not very clear,at least not at the beginning..So Brother Tuck asks Marian, who is a wise woman with the "sight", to find some information. This quickly leads her to the Fae,basically a parallel world inhabited by,of course the Fae,but which is also steeped in rather amazing magic. The Lady Fae also asks Marian for her help because they too are worried about those killings. So an improbable fellowship is formed:Marian, a very reluctant Robin,Jack,a family member of one of the victims,Bert,a rather flamboyant Fae,Birgit,a real vixen and Julian,a more than adorable dog.
This is basically an adventure story immersed in magic,extraordinary powers and a bit more magic. It has so much potential but it is a bit long winded. When Marian encounters yet another site of dark (or not) magic the details are so extensive that they interfere with the flow and the rhythm of the story which is a pity because it is really a good storyline. But nobody wants to skip passages because they are not always relevant or even very interesting.
That said,the flow picks up at the very end but leaves the reader with some serious questions. I could be wrong,but I think a follow up is a possibility...
So,all in all,good storyline,interesting characters but way,way too much descriptions and details.

I received an advance ebook through NetGalley.

The mythology of Robin Hood is twisted in delightfully fresh ways in Moyer's Brightfall. Picking up about a decade after the disbanding of the Merry Men, the book finds Maid Marian as a mother of twins and a competent witch. (Let me emphasis the competent bit, as that was one of the joys of this book--she's darn good with magic and a savvy lady. This isn't a book with a Too Stupid to Live lead character.) Robin Hood is her children's father, but he is not involved in their lives. Instead, he has abandoned them--and the larger world--to live in a monastery, an embittered man who hides behind his excessive piety.

This version of Robin Hood is a jolt, no denying that. I think Robin, I think fun, charismatic, jovial. But this Robin feels realistic, sadly so, and Marian is as jolted by what has happened to Robin as the reader is. She never stops mourning the change in the man she once loved.

When word comes to Marian that the Merry Men and their families are being murdered, she must act. She's forced to partner up with Robin, neither of them happy about the arrangement, as she searches for clues about the killer's identity. As Robin has become a supreme jerk, I was concerned that the book might rekindle the romance with Robin--not so! The book wonderfully subverts that trope, as it does so many during the course of the the plot. Also, I loved that a fox character brings brightness to the novel; I'm not sure if that was intended as a nod to Disney's animated Robin Hood, but I relished it nevertheless.

This is truly a fun mash-up of historical fantasy and murder mystery. The familiar is made new and different, and the story brings constant surprises. I read through this incredibly fast--about half the book in a single setting--and I was sorry to see it end. There's a cozy feel to this world that left me yearning to settle into a cottage next door to Marian's and watch the fae frolic about Sherwood Forest.

A rash of murders seems to be linked to a peace promoting woman. Delia and Isadora get caught up in it along with Delia's new husband Gabe Ryan. The story is told alternating between the supernatural world of Delia and Gabe's mundane police investigation, the two are intertwined as usual and when one of the victims is a member of the Chinese community things get complicated with the involvement of a Chinese leader of the community with illicit ties and supernatural connections.

The kitten stole every scene she was in.

It seemed to run out of steam near the end and the mystery is tied up neatly but unsatisfactorily for me. Still I'd read more by this author.½

This was charming and cozy, a gentle and detailed historical ghost-story serial-killer mystery with some lovely characters, all of many facets. Perhaps, for me, a little too cozy and gentle; I found myself urging things a little faster and sharper, and I remain sad that the major-arcana tarot posing of the discovered victims never seems to play a part in the story. But charming nonetheless.

Delia Martin is from early twentieth-century San Francisco and she has come back to help care for the woman who took her in when her parents died in the San Francisco fire. She has always had ghosts as companions and originally she ran away to New York to escape their ever-presence, which disconcerted her. Now she's back and there are more around and they seem to be related to the case her foster-sister's fiance is involved with. A serial killer who left for a while and seems to be back to prey on the extra people from the Exhibition that's in San Francisco this year.

It's that pre-war era that is quite interesting for a lot of writers and I liked it. This is a cop drama with some supernatural elements that really appeals to me and keeps me reading. There were moments where the pacing seemed uneven but overall it was an interesting read with people who cared for and about each other throughout. I'm looking forward to more in this series.½

4.25 stars

Delia has been in New York for three years, but has returned to San Francisco, along with a ghost (her “shadow” of the title) who prodded her to return. But, Delia can’t figure out what exactly the ghost wants. Delia returns to her best friend, Sophie (who is almost like a sister, as Sophie and her mother took Delia in after her parents died (either in an earthquake or a fire, both are often referred to, but I can’t recall which killed her parents) in the early 20th century).

Sophie is engaged to police officer Jack, who works with Gabe. They are working on a serial killer case that seems to have links to a 30 year old case that Gabe’s father worked on when he was a police officer. Unfortunately, Gabe and Jack get the sense that their loved ones are also in danger…

I really liked this! There was some supernatural (the ghosts), some horror, some mystery, some romance, and all set in 1915, so a historical setting. What’s not to like!? As I was reading, I kept thinking – oh, I hope there a sequel, I’d love to read more about these characters, so I was happy to find out, when I finished, that there are currently two more books in the series.

As much as I loved the first book, I made it about half way through this one and just have to set it aside. The story so far was almost all about ghosts and hauntings. There is no interest in or development to the actual characters. Not much in the way of plot either.

I really enjoyed this historical mystery with ghosts. Delia Martin is being haunted by one very persistent ghost. Delia returns to San Francisco and finds herself linked to a serial killer who has returned after a 30 year absence. The ghost is a link to the killing spree but Delia can't communicate with her until she visits Dora Bobet who is a medium.

Also pursuing the case of the serial killer is Police Lieutenant Gabe Ryan who is trying to solve the case his father couldn't solve 30 years earlier. Gabe and Delia meet because his Sargent Jack is engaged to her best friend and foster sister Sadie.

Delia has also returned home because Sadie's mother - the woman who became her guardian when her parents died in the San Francisco earthquake and fire - is dying and she wants to support her friend.

I loved the San Francisco setting. I thought the way the relationship grew between Delia and Gabe was nicely done. I thought the mystery was nicely intriguing. I found both the serial killer and the various ghosts nicely creepy.

This is the first book of a trilogy and I intend to read the rest.

3.5 Stars

Delia’s Shadow promises quite a bit: Victorian Society; Human-Ghost Interaction; Gothic ambience; Paranormal Mystery. While the book delivers all it promises, it holds back a bit at the same time.

Delia is returning home to be reunited with her childhood friend who is about to be married, and her surrogate mother who is on the eve of her deathbed. She’s not returning home alone, though – a ghost is trailing her, encouraging her to return home for reasons Delia can’t figure out. Meanwhile, Sadie’s fiancé Jack and friend Gabe are on the hunt for a serial killer who has been terrorizing the small town.

The story is a great concept. It has a lot going for it. The ambience is potent, and I could almost feel the fog on my face as I was reading the flashback scenes. I loved the psychic and she turned out to be my favorite. The gothic theme is used strongly and without shame. I do love how the plot is intertwined with so many secrets and how these connect to the characters in surprising ways.

Issues arise with the characterization. They didn’t seem convincingly, too good to be true, especially the police force. Delia and Gabe’s relationship also rang false since neither were convincing. As it typical with Gothic romances, the rushed love is usually unrealistic and without much buildup for that special connection. Also, for the house being full of ghosts, it was surprisingly non-eerie. I would forget about them being there unless the author mentioned it after a while. More could have been done with them.

While the mystery stayed a mystery, it was intriguing enough, but I feel the mystery was dropped too soon and fell off. The villain is a creative twist by identity, but I wish it could have been discovered a little later. It isn’t gory, although deaths are tragically felt.

I think one of the scenes that will stay with me the most is when the ghosts send Sadie on a vision, and Teddy looks at her once they arrive before evaporating into a cloud of dust. Beautiful stuff. You could certainly feel the haunting, paranormal elements swirling around.

There is one more thing to mention: weird POV struggles. It’s not unusual to have two points of view, one male and one female, but never when that’s done does it switch from first person point of view to third. Each section is labeled by the name Gabe or Delia, and when in Gabe’s head it was “He said…”, but when it’s Delia, it was “I thought…,etc.”

It’s the first of the series. I’m not sure where it will go from here, but I’m curious. And surely I’m not the only one who has massive cover love?

An enjoyable novel but ultimately parts of the ghost story are a little lifeless.

I had a harder time getting involved in this book for some reason. Part of it might be that I guessed the ghost's identity early on and I felt that had been overdone, but I also just didn't care as much about the case. The parts of the book that focused on Delia and her circle of friends and family were more interesting to me, but there wasn't enough of that. I'm also surprised that this is the end of the series. There is very little culmination in this book: the big bad isn't really any bigger or badder, Delia seems to have reached mastery of her abilities somewhere between books so there's no sense of closure there, and there's no indication that the spirit world will be any less involved in the lives of Delia or her family. This is just another case, to be followed by many more, no doubt. So much is left unanswered, and so many intriguing plot threads were introduced in this book. I can only assume the author plans to return to this setup eventually, perhaps focusing on a different character. I'd give any further books a try.

Set post-World War I, San Francisco is awash in refugees - both of the living and dead variety. Delia is visited by a new spirits just before a St. Patrick's Day Parade - one marred by violence. Evil begun during the Great War has far-reaching effects for both Delia and her loved ones along with the larger world.

A truly fantastic read, the only thing wrong with this book is that this is the final book in the Delia series. If you've wreathe first two - and they are a must - you have to read the concluding volume. Ms. Moyer has created a fantastickal world much like our own where magic exists, and none of her books disappoint.

A fun little historical urban fantasy with likable characters. I liked the first of this series, and I think I enjoyed this one even more. The lack of relationship drama was refreshing - so often these things are drawn out unbearably, I think because the author feels they have nothing to write about once the protagonist has actually committed to someone! I did feel the ending was rushed, but that's a minor quibble. I look forward to reading the next.

A Barricade in Hell by Jaime Lee Moyer is the sequel to the extremely popular Delia's Shadow. I often shy away from sequels to books I love but I dared pick this one up in the hopes that it was as engaging as the first.

Synopsis from Amazon:
In Jaime Lee Moyer's Barricade in Hell, Delia Martin has been gifted (or some would say cursed) with the ability to peer across to the other side. Since childhood, her constant companions have been ghosts. She used her powers and the help of those ghosts to defeat a twisted serial killer terrorizing her beloved San Francisco. Now it's 1917—the threshold of a modern age—and Delia lives a peaceful life with Police Captain Gabe Ryan.

That peace shatters when a strange young girl starts haunting their lives and threatens Gabe. Delia tries to discover what this ghost wants as she becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding a charismatic evangelist who preaches pacifism and an end to war. But as young people begin to disappear, and audiences display a loyalty and fervor not attributable to simple persuasion, that message of peace reveals a hidden dark side.

As Delia discovers the truth, she faces a choice—take a terrible risk to save her city, or chance losing everything?

While I adore the genre of the paranormal, I sometimes have a hard time finding books with all of the story elements I enjoy. I loved Delia's Shadow. I was immediately attracted to the historic post-earthquake San Francisco setting offered by Moyer where the city, although already 1917, is still rebuilding and recovering. Another plus was the fact that the characters in the story, minus the paranormal, were realistic. They are adults who had life experience and had to deal with their own losses as they worked toward a happier future. Their stories had depth and meaning which allowed me to invest in them emotionally.

In this sequel, Delia and Gabe have been married for a few years and have a solid relationship throughout the story. The main plot revolves around ritualistic killings that are truly creepy in nature. While Gabe deals with the police investigation, Delia must deal with figuring out why all of a sudden the spirit world has erupted with angry mobs of ghosts, more powerful then she has ever experienced and seemingly focused on her husband. The two of them make a great team and it is wonderful to see how Gabe, a seasoned law enforcement agent, believes in and supports the use of Delia's abilities when necessary.

The story is thought provoking and definitely has its share of edge of your seat moments. I could have easily read it in one night if I had the time (which I did not). What I found interesting is that the mystery focuses less on who the murderer is (which we can figure out fairly early) and more on how to prove their guilt, bring them in, stop more murders from occurring, and figure out how the restless ghosts can finally find peace. This was a refreshing twist to the normal, "whodunit."

All in all, A Barricade in Hell was just as good, if not better than Delia's Shadow. I'm looking forward to a third book to wrap things up for all of these characters I have grown to love.

Delia's shadow had my full attention right from the beginning. Aside from the absolutely gorgeous cover, the story takes place nine years after the great San Francisco earthquake so the historical setting was extremely interesting. Our main characters, Gabe and Delia had both lost loved ones in the quake or in the fires that followed and that broken part of their personalities added depth of character in the form of strength and heartache. Delia had the double whammy because she is able to see the ghosts of those who stayed behind, especially Shadow, who follows her, pleading silently for Delia's help. To have that kind of burden seems overwhelming to me but Delia handles it as a true heroine would, with grace and the determination to do what was right though the whole story.

The story blends several genre but mostly historical fiction, paranormal, and murder mystery. It is not however, for the weak of heart. The murder victims are described in detail when they are found and there is quite a bit a heartache to go around as our characters desperately try to solve the case and bring the serial killer to justice before he kills someone close to them. I loved the edginess of this side of the story. The reader could easily understand how much harder it was to catch a killer during this time. The rules were much different and the resources were few. There was a constant frustration as the killer continually added more and more victims to his tally.

The dual narration also added to the uniqueness of the story. I really liked how chapters alternated between Gabe and Delia's point of view. You don't always get to read the male perspective and this increased the level of engagement for me. The slow but evident romance between these two characters was always present but never overdone. They were brought together in a way that would have been perfectly proper in the early 1900's. The investigation was also double sided. We saw it from the law enforcement perspective and we also read how the supernatural element was involved through Delia and Isadora, the medium who helps Delia understand her ghost and how it connects to the case.

This book had everything I wanted; mystery, action, romance, and the paranormal. There were an abundance of ghosts and I wanted to know all of their stories. I think it would make a great movie and hope that someone is intelligent enough to snatch it up.

I know there is a sequel and this time, I don't plan on putting it on the bottom of my TBR list. It will be moving right to the top!

As another chapter in the saga of Delia Martin Ryan and family, this book excels. It’s a gripping story that doesn’t let you go. However, as a conclusion to the series? Dismal failure.

As usual, Moyer knows how to tell a gripping story. I loved all the new bits she included from the supernatural: how the ability to see ghosts manifested in a child, how the powers of a necromancer interacted with Delia’s and Dora’s abilities, and the strengthening of Delia overall in her abilities and confidence using them. Seeing her grow as a supernatural user and face off with a truly terrifying entity kept me enthralled.

I loved the historical background to the story as well as the crime fighting parts (though those were in lesser evidence than previous volumes). Using the Russian Revolution and the assassination of the tsar’s family tied in very well with the overall aura of the time period with the bubbling fervent feelings of revolution, anarchy, and change. The author also incorporates fantastic period details to make her setting come to life like the eerie San Francisco fog, period speedster cars, and the era’s fascination with Spiritualism.

Her characters also continue to shine. Delia’s growing confidence and courage in facing ghosts and supernatural entities, both enemies and allies, is always a treat. I love her with Gabe. His strengths in observance of details and putting all the pieces together continue to be a joy to read. His growing awareness of his own supernatural inclinations was also a nice change.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters, especially the ones that were introduced in this volume. Jordan was a special favorite. I loved seeing how he didn’t let prejudice influence his sense of dignity and justice; he did what the job required so that the victims of crime could have justice. I loved the window that his character provided into the world of police and how people of color were treated back then.

The only problem I have with this book was it being touted as a “conclusion”. It in no way reads as such. This is just another chapter in the life of Delia and allies as they battle the evil supernatural influences that seem to gravitate to early 20th century San Francisco. There is no wrapping up of overall story threads; the author even introduces some such threads in this volume, the last book in the series.

So there is no real closure as we say goodbye to these characters. I’m going to be very sad to see Delia and company go. I enjoyed her adventures every October; it was one of the things I looked forward to for the past few years. I can only hope that maybe the author is going to pursue a series about Dora?? If that’s the case, sign me up for that waitlist!!! I’d love a series about her.

A great addition to the series, this volume will keep you engaged with a gripping story, great characters, and wonderful supernatural additions. While this doesn’t read as a conclusion, it still stands as a great book under its own merits. I’ll be sad to see this series go, but here’s hoping the author intends to write one about Dora, ‘cause I’ll be there with bells on. Still a recommends volume for those who love historical supernatural mysteries.

I adored the amount of supernatural and mystery in this follow-up to Delia's Shadow. The author seemed to have upped the ante with what the ghosts can do in the physical world and the impact they have on Delia's life. Her tutorship under Dora seems to have honed her skills at communicating with and guarding against the spirits in her life (when they're actually dead spirits, though!). The author has delved more into the mythology of spirits and I adored every bit.

The mystery stuff was definitely more center stage in this second novel. I believe, probably, because the characters were already established from the first book. Less time was needed on introduction and building of personalities/relationships. The reader is dropped in right away into a mystery of vanishing people and gruesome death in 1917 San Francisco. The whodunit is readily guessable for most of the book; however, the way the author ties in the various clues, the red herrings, and the added bonuses of the supernatural gives this book a very different feel than most mysteries and will keep the reader turning page after page.

Let me just say I was ecstatic to see how much more of a role that Dora had in this book. Don't get me wrong, I adore Delia and Gabe. But there's just something about Dora that makes her sometimes steal the show. She's vibrant, in-your-face, confident, but with a touch of vulnerability to her. Seeing her interaction with Randy made me smile more than once and just root for them.

My only gripe would be that there were some unexplained actions taken by certain parties and some big questions I had after reading that never got answered. I guess in the grand scheme of things, it's a minor quibble. But I don't like plot holes in my novels, especially ones that rely so heavily on supernatural mythology and mystery-solving to tell its story.

The books was a beautiful sequel to its predecessor. I enjoyed the heightened use of mystery and the supernatural, and the characters were as life-like and enjoyable as last time. My only problem, truck-sized plot holes, do seem to shrink when stacked up against all that I enjoyed in the book. I definitely look forward to more in the Delia Martin series!

When I first saw this book in a GoodReads FirstReads giveaway, I entered for it right away. When I didn't win it, I placed a pre-order for it right away. And when it arrived, I started reading almost right away. I was that anxious to start reading what sounded like an incredibly interesting book. And it met many of my expectations.

The author blends many elements into one cohesive whole that made for a very well rounded and wonderful story. It blends in gentle romance, a creepy murder mystery, supernatural ghosts, vivid characters, and strong friendships. The author is able to bring all these elements together in a way that one doesn't overpower the other.

The characters really made the story for me. All of them were three dimensional and stood out to me. From the major characters of Delia and Gabe to the minors like housekeeper Annie and cop Marshall, all had enough definition to really make the story for me. The real star for me, though, was Dora. She just sparkles with electricity and pizzazz. She's a determined and confident woman who thumbs her nose at society's expectations and stands firm in the face of supernatural demands. She doesn't take any snuff from ghosts nor human beings and she's not sorry about that at all. She's a great guide for Delia as she enters the world of ghost medium.

I enjoyed the different supernatural elements as well. The varying degrees of ghostly strength, how demanding they can be towards their goals, and the uses they can be put to help the living were unique and intriguing. All the usual creepiness was here as well like ghosts tumbling into ash and shadows lurking in the corner.

I enjoyed this book to the hilt, even the semi-predictable ending/murder mystery aspect. It was at turns creepy, romantic, and engaging. I would definitely recommend it to any lover of ghost stories set in a historical setting.

In this book, Delia and company must deal with the ghost of a princess, a live maybe princess and an evil necromancer who is killing noble Russian immigrants. I got off to a slow start on this one but then I could not put it down. I think it is because it takes me a while to get into Delia's world, but once I am on board I really enjoy these books. Delia is a smart and strong woman as are the other female characters. The men, mostly policemen, are strong and smart but also likable and loving to their families. I also found the Russian tie in very interesting. These books are best read in series to get all the relationships. If you like historical paranormal stories, this is right up your street.

I'm sad that this is the final book of this series, which artfully blends historical mystery with ghosts and magic. Moyers captured a pivotal time of history against a backdrop of the scarred, haunted city of San Francisco. Delia is a smart, savvy heroine who sees ghosts. Her husband is a police captain. Their two perspectives intertwine nicely--they make excellent partners as they solve mysteries. In this case, San Francisco is plagued by supernaturally-flavored mayhem and murders that are clearly connected to Russian refugees fleeing the bloody revolution overseas. Delia deals with a very regal ghost who says a great deal while saying nothing. The novel confronts darkness without getting too mired in it; this is a fast, cozy read, perfect to accompany tea and cat cuddles at bedtime. At least, that's what I did.