Review: Caught Dead Handed by Carol J. Perry

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-Book

Publisher:
Kensington

Release Date
September 2014






Synopsis from Goodreads:

She's not a psychic--she just plays one on TV.

Most folks associate the city of Salem, Massachusetts with witches, but for Lee Barrett, it's home. This October she's returned to her hometown--where her beloved Aunt Ibby still lives--to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH-TV. But the only opening is for a call-in psychic to host the late night horror movies. It seems the previous host, Ariel Constellation, never saw her own murder coming.

Lee reluctantly takes the job, but when she starts seeing real events in the obsidian ball she's using as a prop, she wonders if she might really have psychic abilities. To make things even spookier, it's starting to look like Ariel may have been an actual practicing witch--especially when O'Ryan, the cat Lee and Aunt Ibby inherited from her, exhibits some strange powers of his own. With Halloween fast approaching, Lee must focus on unmasking a killer--or her career as a psychic may be very short lived. . .

My Review

Loved, loved, loved O’Ryan…he’s the main character. Okay, maybe he’s not but he was my main and favorite character…he’s the dead psychic’s familiar cat :)  After Lee Barrett finds the host of a call-in psychic show dead, she and her Aunt Ibby somehow wind up adopting O’Ryan. Or maybe O’Ryan adopts them. That’s how it usually goes with cats :)

Lee’s goal is to be a news reporter at WICH-TV, but the job goes to someone else. Instead, Lee is offered the call-in psychic job to replace the murdered psychic. This is not at all what Lee wants or has any experience with, but a job is a job and it’s a way to get her foot in the door at WICH-TV. It’s not long before Lee realizes she just might have some psychic abilities after all when she sees visions in an obsidian ball.

Strange and scary things start happening at the TV station and it doesn’t help knowing a murderer is on the loose. Lee and her aunt do some investigating on their own and begin to discover things aren’t as they seem. They need to find the killer before the killer finds them.

Like I said before, the kitty is my favorite character but I did enjoy the others as well. Lee and her aunt are wonderful, strong characters. The author brings her entire cast to life on each page.

The storyline kept me guessing, but I slowly began to realize what was happening. It wasn’t until close to the end when it all started coming together for me. This is a captivating, exciting and intriguing plot.

Definitely a must read series for me. I can’t wait to read the second one and revisit O’Ryan, Lee and Aunt Ibby.

Excellent start to a series.



For reading challenges:
What An Animal Reading Challenge 2016

I bought this one for my e-reader. All opinions expressed are my own.