chez_jae | Entries tagged with series: gulf coast paranormal

The Legend of the Ghost Queen (Gulf Coast Paranormal, #4)

The Legend of the Ghost Queen by M.L. Bullock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Juuuuust before midnight last night I finished The Legend of the Ghost Queen by ML Bullock. It's the 4th part of the author's "Gulf Coast Paranormal" series of paranormal suspense books. The narrative followed several characters, including the Ghost Queen herself.

Gulf Coast Paranormal is called in to help when a guest on a haunted cemetery tour is found hanging in a tree. Prior to them getting the call, however, Cassidy went into a painting frenzy inspired by a psychic vision. What she painted was the long-dead voodoo queen, Ettawa Maybee, along with GCP member, Josh. Through her visions, Cassidy realizes that Josh looks remarkably like Quincy Justice, Ettawa's former lover, the father of her beloved son, and the man who did her wrong. Unable to enter the hallowed grounds of the cemetery in search of her son, Ettawa is determined to wreak vengeance on anyone who crosses her path. Cassidy warns Josh of her vision, but he has real world problems--he and his wife, Sierra (another GCP member) are separated, perhaps for good. In the meantime, Cassidy has distanced herself from Midas, the leader of GCP, after he gave her some information in the search for her sister that upset her. Cassidy knows Midas isn't to blame for Kylie's disappearance or for the unwelcome information, but she can't face him right now. With a team comprised of two couples on the outs, it's going to take a lot of work for GCP to face down the ghost of a voodoo queen and emerge from the cemetery unscathed.

The story was creepy--just right for Halloween season. Characters were three-dimensional, even Ettawa, whom we learned about from snippets of the last few days of her life. She may have been the villain in the story, but one couldn't help but sympathize for her and her plight. It was heartbreaking to see how Josh and Sierra tiptoed around one another, still clearly in love but both of them hurting. The resolution was satisfying, although the plot leading up to it was more frightening than the ending was.

Favorite lines:
♦ Weird things always happened when there was a full moon.
♦ "I can't believe this. It's the middle of the day, the sun is shining, and I get slapped in the face by a ghost." I hate when that happens. LOL!

Very good, eerie, and emotional. Four stars.

Current Mood: lazy

A Haunting on Bloodgood Row (Gulf Coast Paranormal, #3)

A Haunting on Bloodgood Row by M.L. Bullock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knocked back the rest of A Haunting on Bloodgood Row by ML Bullock last night. This is the third in the author's "Gulf Coast Paranormal" series. The main characters are Cassidy Wright and Midas Demopolis.

About to embark on her third investigation with the GCP team, Cassidy dives into her art and paints a portrait of one of the ghosts haunting what was once known as Bloodgood Row. Sabrina Elizabeth was murdered over 100 years ago, her body never found. The investigation proves to be difficult. Not only is the haunting severe, but teammates Sierra and Josh are at a crossroads in their marriage, and Cassidy feels that Midas is withholding information about her missing sister from her. Each member of the team experiences terrifying events at Bloodgood Row, putting not only the investigation into jeopardy, but also their lives.

This was certainly creepy, but I still maintain that the first book in the series was the creepiest. I enjoyed the pacing of this, as the author alternated the chilling investigative scenes with downtime for the team. What I liked the least was the seeming lack of resolution. The team figured out what was going on and where the bodies were (literally) buried, but it was never revealed if said bodies were exhumed and the building(s) cleared of negative energy.

Favorite lines:
♦ Death by angry blonde. Not exactly the way I wanted to go.
♦ Nobody believes in the supernatural--until they believe in the supernatural.

I would like to give this 3 1/2 stars. Since halfsies aren't allowed, I'll give it a generous 4.

Current Mood: cold
Current Music: Devils at Islanders

The Ghosts of the Crescent Theater (Gulf Coast Paranormal Book 2)

The Ghosts of the Crescent Theater by M.L. Bullock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In addition to completing my "work" book at the office on Thursday, I also finished reading an ebook on Thursday night. It was The Ghosts of the Crescent Theater, and it's the second "Gulf Coast Paranormal" book by ML Bullock. Main characters are seasoned paranormal investigator Midas and rookie Cassidy.

When GCP members Sierra and Josh hire Cassidy to paint a mural in their home, Cassidy instead is compelled to paint a vision. Her artwork of a woman onstage ties in with GCP's newest case, a haunting at the Crescent Theater. In addition to gathering evidence while investigating the theater, GCP is also aided by Cassidy's visions. She is able to relate the story of Estelle Winters, an ambitious young singer who was denied her chance to shine on stage. With paranormal activity ramping up, Cassidy intuits that the team can soothe Estelle's restless spirit by giving her the moment in the spotlight that she had once aspired to.

An interesting story, but not nearly as creepy as the first in the series. I enjoyed seeing Cassidy coming into her own as an investigator and a member of the team. Characters were portrayed well, and the author included a budding romance between Cassidy and Midas, as well as some marital strife between Sierra and Joshua.

Favorite line: "I can't believe you'd do this for free." // "It beats writing 'paranormal investigator' on my tax form."

Likable story and characters. Four stars

Current Mood: calm

The October People (Gulf Coast Paranormal Extra Book 1)

The October People by M.L. Bullock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Over the course of two evenings, I read an ebook novella called The October People by ML Bullock. It's a spin-off of the author's "Gulf Coast Paranormal" series. This story follows team member Jocelyn Graves as she embarks on a solo mission to investigate the infamous Leaf Academy. It also reaches back in time to tell the story of Hugh McCandlish, one of the tragic victims of the academy.

Jocelyn is excited to be invited to investigate the Leaf Academy and document any paranormal activity she encounters. Expecting the usual opening doors, cold spots, and mysterious noises, Jocelyn is shocked to experience eerie music from the auditorium, disembodied voices, strange black feathers, and the spirit of a young boy. Is the ghost another unfortunate victim, or a dark entity masquerading as a child? If Jocelyn is very lucky, she won't find out the hard way...like Hugh McCandlish did.

This was downright creepy. It was not a cozy paranormal mystery by any means. Perfect for October/Halloween. I'm almost sorry I read it in September. Hah! The author deftly ratcheted the tension up, in both the past and the present, making it difficult to stop reading. I admired Jocelyn's moxie, as well as Hugh's determination to do the right thing. Characterizations were brilliant, including Jocelyn's rescue dog, Sherman.

Favorite line: "I'm not dead yet." // "That's a great motto. Maybe that should be your next tattoo."

Here's the trope-y 'breath' line: I realized that I had been holding my breath.

Spooky, compelling, and highly-recommended! Five stars.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Live Coverage: Tracking Hurricane Ian

The Ghosts of Kali Oka Road (Gulf Coast Paranormal Book 1)

The Ghosts of Kali Oka Road by M.L. Bullock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finished reading The Ghosts of Kali Oka Road last night. It's the first installment in the "Gulf Coast Paranormal" series by ML Bullock. I suppose the genre would be 'supernatural suspense'? There's no single main character; rather the story centered around the paranormal investigation team of Midas, Sierra, Josh, Sara, and Peter, along with the gift artist they meet, Cassidy.

Kali Oka Road and the old Oak Grove Plantation have long been rumored to be haunted. No one knows that better than Ranger Shaw. The story begins in the past, when a teenage Ranger takes his girlfriend, Melissa, to Kali Oka Road. They get into an argument, Melissa storms off, and Ranger never sees her again...at least, he never sees her in one piece again.

Now in present day, Cassidy awakens from an odd dream and feels compelled to paint what she saw. Her strange vision leads her to the GCP team, where they are about to embark on an investigation of Kali Oka Road, at the request of Ranger Shaw, who has terminal cancer. He wants to know what happened to Melissa before he dies. Armed with research, equipment, and Cassidy's visions, the team begins to unravel the mystery of Kali Oka Road.

This was creepy and fast paced and fun. I was reluctant to put it aside, although I managed it. The story did switch povs, from Ranger's third-person pov to first-person pov from either Cassidy or Midas' perspective. As a result, I got a good feel for Cassidy and Midas, more so than the rest of the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but...

( Spoilers! )

Favorite line: This had been a strange day. Why not finish it with a bang?

I really did love this story, in spite of the things I found vexing. I have several more of these books on my Kindle, and I'm looking forward to reading them. I would have given this five stars, but the aggravations knock one off the score.