A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: ELF
Janni Neil introduces Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator as she travels to Scotland to investigate a rose that she believes is the Flower of Death, aka the legendary Dedfield Rose. Douglas McGregor, barkeep/owner of Mac’s pub, can only offer the mystery itself and room and board as payment but Allegra is still basking in the success of her previous Bigfoot shoe fetish case and agrees to investigate. Allegra is attracted to the handsome Scot but any chance of a relationship is complicated by another hunky male in her life, Casper, her guardian angel. A companion since her early childhood, Casper appears just in time to save her whenever her life is in danger, a common occurrence given her penchant for paranormal investigation. The wailing of a banshee and a thrice-dreamed event followed by the discovery of a maimed corpse lead Allegra deeper into the mysteries of Loch Furness which may have a more malevolent entity around it than the well--known inhabitant of Loch Ness. The case gets even more puzzling when a link is found to the local gentry which include a standoffish Lord Maitland and his ethereal wife who had been observed dancing naked in the woods by several of the villagers. A vengeful ghost in search of a heart rounds out the eccentric cast of characters that seem determined to keep Allegra (and Casper) from enjoying their visit to Scotland but the plucky investigator is unlikely to let a few brushes with death stand in the way of her investigation unless of course the next banshee’s wail is for her!
Pick up this book for an entertaining lighthearted look at several of the legends that abound in the mysterious land of Scotland mixed with a plucky heroine determined to solve her cases no matter what the risk. This is an enjoyable debut novel with enough interesting loose ends to make one hope for other chapters in Allegra Fairweather’s life.
And thank you to Carina Press for making this work available through Netgalley.
Jun 29, 2010 | 9781426890116
5 - Rare Top Pick | 4.5 - Top Pick | 4 - I Liked It | 3.5 - Enjoyable | 3 - OK | 2.5 - It just didn't click
Book Blurb for Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator
Allegra Fairweather here. Paranormal investigator. Got problems with specters? Shapeshifters? I’m the woman to call. Just don’t call me a Ghostbuster. The last guy who did that ended up flat on his back with my boot at his throat.
With my 99.5% success rate, solving the mystery of a bleeding rose that has sprung up on the shores of Loch Furness should have been an easy gig. But already I’ve heard the shriek of the local banshee, discovered two bodies (and then lost two bodies), and had a near-death encounter with a three-hundred-year-old ghost. And perhaps most dangerous of all, the hot pub owner who hired me now wants to show me exactly what’s under his kilt. Luckily, I’m ably assisted by my very own guardian angel. I’m grateful for his help—but he’s also drop-dead gorgeous. A bit distracting when I’ve got a mystery to solve, and the clock is ticking…
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