chez_jae | Entries tagged with author: carol j perry

Now You See It by Carol J. Perry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading Now You See It by Carol J Perry last night. It's the 13th book in the "Witch City" mystery series, starring Lee Barrett.

Lee is enjoying her status as a newlywed, but she finds herself missing the excitement of her field reporter days with WICH-TV. When she's tasked with producing a documentary on the opening of a new historical museum in Salem, Lee jumps at the chance. Before Lee even begins her assignment, however, the driver of the armored vehicle delivering items to the museum is murdered. As nothing was missing from the shipment, there appears to be no motive for the crime. The police are stumped, including Lee's husband, Detective Pete Mondello. When Lee begins having visions related to the crime, she informs Pete, but nothing she sees seems to be helping. After a valuable dagger is brazenly stolen from the museum, Lee is drawn further into the tangled web of a crafty criminal.

I really liked this book. It was fun to go with Lee out on assignment again, especially since her assignment landed her right in the middle of an investigation. Characterizations were flawless, from familiar characters to those newly introduced. The storyline was well-paced and sensible. The author dropped just enough hints and clues to allow me to figure out who dunnit before Lee did. Woo!

Favorite lines:
♦ Can cats do an eye roll?
♦ "A found cat can be a very good thing."
♦ "Ghost hunter? Have we attracted those already? We've only been haunted for less than a week."

And the ubiquitous 'holding my breath' line(s):
♦ I avoided even the tiniest glance in the direction of the hall tree, then realized I was holding my breath as we passed it.
♦ I realized I'd been holding my breath.

Womp womp!

Very good book, five stars.

Current Mood: cold
Current Music: Capitals at Senators

'Til Death by Carol J. Perry

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I finished reading 'Til Death by Carol J Perry last night. It's the 12th part of the "Witch City" mystery series, featuring news programmer Lee Barrett.

As her wedding to Detective Pete Mondello nears, Lee is busy tying up loose ends at the TV station, coordinating the ceremony, looking at houses with Pete, and planning her honeymoon. Lee and Pete decide to visit the island off the Maine coast where an accident claimed the lives of Lee's parents when she was just a child. When Lee starts getting visions relating to that day, she is determined to learn once and for all what really happened. After their wedding, Lee and Pete set out on a road trip and pay a visit to Lee's aunt and uncle on the island. They both get the impression that things aren't what they seem on the surface. Lee's Aunt Doris has episodes of forgetfulness, and her step-uncle, Bill, is taken aback by a ring that Lee is wearing, which had belonged to her mother. Pulling on Lee's experience as an investigative reporter and Pete's instincts as a cop, the two of them begin to dig deeper into the mystery surrounding the death of Lee's parents. What they learn is that someone may have killed to keep a secret and may be willing to do so again.

I enjoy this series, but this particular installment was such a departure that I was left feeling ambivalent about it. Rather than a current murder mystery, Lee and Pete are delving into a cold case. Over half the book was devoted to the pre-wedding preparations, meaning less than half was devoted to the mystery. I miss certain aspects of the series, such as Lee's career as a reporter and the fact that she's moving out of the grand old home she shared with her Aunt Ibby.

Favorite line: "Time is what it is. Live in the moments you have."

It took me longer than usual to finish this book because it simply didn't grip me like others in the series have. Giving this one an average score of three.

Current Mood: disappointed
Current Music: Panthers vs Lightning, game 4

See Something by Carol J. Perry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Earlier this evening, I finished reading See Something by Carol J Perry. This is the 11th installment in the "Witch City" mystery series with main character Maralee "Lee" Barrett.

Lee has been promoted from field reporter to program director. Although she misses the excitement of chasing a lead, she's full of ideas for WICH-TV, and she is learning to appreciate working regular hours. When Lee notices a woman has been sitting by herself on a bench on the Salem Common, she goes to introduce herself and see if the woman needs help. What Lee learns is that woman cannot even remember her own name. Lee takes her home and calls her police detective boyfriend, Pete Mondello, to apprise him of the situation. Lee is thrust into excitement again when it turns out the woman, whom they call Janie (Jane Doe), has witnessed a murder.

As the police work to find out Janie's identity, the murderer (or murderers) seem to fixate on Lee as a means to get to Janie. Soon she's being stalked, harassed, and threatened. However, Lee has a strong support system around her, including her Aunt Ibby and Ibby's friends, who throw themselves into researching the shady real estate deals that seem to be at the heart of the murder. It soon becomes a race to see if the police will close in on a killer before he can get to either Lee or Janie.

The story was fun and fast-paced, although I confess I miss going on assignment with Lee as an investigative reporter. Her visions didn't play as important a role in this book as in others, but she did have some recurring dreams that seemed to offer clues. The ending was immensely satisfying, with Lee only being on the fringes of danger this time. O'Ryan, the cat, played a big role, as did other animals in the story.

Favorite lines:
♦ "I can't tell the chief that I need another officer to protect a lady clown because my girlfriend's cat says she's in danger."
♦ Cats don't take commands, even when they understand perfectly what you want them to do. Especially when they understand perfectly what you want them to do.

Very good, five stars!

Current Mood: good

Murder, Take Two by Carol J. Perry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last night I finished reading Murder, Take Two, which is the 10th book in Carol J Perry's "Witch City" mystery series. The main character is Lee Barrett, field reporter, amateur sleuth, and reluctant scryer.

When a college professor is murdered in Salem, the crime has eerie similarities to a murder that occurred nearly 200 years ago. Another professor, Cody McGinnis, is tabbed as the primary suspect because he and Professor Bond had argued recently, and his ladder was found at the scene. Lee doesn't believe Cody did it, and neither do his uncles, Ray and Roger, friends of Lee's. As a favor to Ray and Roger, Lee begins looking into things. She is aided by her aunt, research librarian Ibby, and two of Ibby's senior friends. With their help, Lee is able to identify some other suspects, but the evidence against Cody is mounting. Lee will need to use everything at her disposal, including her own visions, to unravel the mystery.

Part of the fun of reading these books is "tagging along" with Lee as she does her job as a reporter. It's a refreshing change from other mystery books. Her career enables her to ask questions and snoop where she might otherwise not be able to. I even enjoy reading about her down time. I appreciate the fact that the entirety of the story isn't consumed with the investigation. I also like that the author not only has her regular characters, but she also has familiar ones from earlier books put in cameos. It's disappointing at times to read about an intriguing character in a book and then never see him or her again in a series.

Favorite line: "To all readers everywhere, may their tribe increase."

Excellent characterizations, engrossing plot, and a satisfying ending. Five stars!

Current Mood: full
Current Music: "Alienation" ~ Morning Parade

Just completed reading Grave Errors by Carol J Perry. It's part of the "Witch City" mystery series, which features teacher and reluctant scryer, Lee Barrett.

A new semester at the academy of the arts brings a new group of students to Lee's class on television production. She soon learns that one of the students, a young woman named Dorothy, is only taking the class to learn how to be an investigative reporter so she can investigate her sister's recent death. Initially, it was ruled an accident, but Dorothy is convinced that Emily was murdered. Also taking Lee's class are a pair of retired police officers, twin brothers named Roger and Ray. Soon, the entire class is caught up in Dorothy's investigation, even as Lee struggles to rein them in and keep them focused on their class project to introduce Salem, MA to the Dia de los Muertos celebration.

Lee relates Dorothy's concerns to her police officer boyfriend, Pete, but he dismisses them at first. It's not until the school receives a threatening note, directed at Lee, that Pete begins to take the students' investigation seriously. With a creepy stalker or two, a mysterious white cat, a new million-dollar real estate deal, Lee's visions, and another murder thrown in, the investigation becomes even more imperative.

Certainly a fast-paced, engrossing story. I had planned to spend the weekend reading the book, but instead, I knocked it back in about 24 hours. I enjoyed reading about the interactions of the students and how they quickly gelled into a team. It's refreshing to see that Pete supports Lee and takes an interest in her visions, even though he doesn't understand her ability. Lee barely understands it herself, but she's learned to pay attention to the visions, rather than trying to hide from them, as she used to.

Favorite line: Cops need hard facts. Real truths. They can't accuse people of crimes because of visions in mirrors or messages from cats.

Excellent story! Five stars:

*****

Current Mood: crappy
Current Music: Islanders at Blackhawks