TITLE: ⟫ Dead Serious: Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plum
AUTHOR: ⟫ Vawn Cassidy
SERIES: ⟫ Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed #4
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5
BLURB: ⟫ Inspector Danny Hayes has something very important to ask his boyfriend Tristan Everett. Over the past six months they’ve survived reapers, chaos monsters, and biblical storms, not to mention averting an apocalypse. So, what’s left to do but pop the big question?
Tristan is ready for a break from world-saving, spectral crises, and most definitely from ghosts. He wants some one-on-one time with his boyfriend, preferably horizontally. So when the incredibly thoughtful aforementioned boyfriend books a romantic New Year’s getaway at a quiet little hotel in the wilds of the north Yorkshire moors and away from London, Tristan can’t wait.
But as usual nothing ever goes according to plan. Snowed in during an unexpected murder mystery weekend at what turns out to be one of the most haunted hotels in Northern England is not what they had in mind, but when one of the actors turns up really dead not just fake dead, they once again find themselves caught up in another investigation.
With only one night to figure out who the killer is while wrangling a multitude of overly helpful ghosts, Tristan begins to wonder if romance really is dead…
REVIEW: ⟫ It would be very easy for the romance between Tristan and Danny to take a backseat to a rip-roarer of a weekend where murder, family, extra marital affairs and ghosts are running riot, so it is a credit to Vawn Cassidy that that doesn’t happen.
Danny wants to propose to Tristan – has been planning it for some time – but can’t seem to find the right time. A weekend away where they can both relax after the extremely busy and challenging last few months seems like the perfect opportunity – now if only there wasn’t a murder, an affair, an insane amount of ghosts and a hotel on its’ last legs getting in the way.
I really loved the way that Tristan supported Danny as he faced up to various things from his past, and I was pleased with how went and was handled. Dusty is, as always, the absolute bomb and the interactions between her and Danny had me giggling at various stages. Once again, we have a murder and Tristan using his abilities to help solve the case. This time, other people get up close and personal with the ghosts and it was fascinating seeing their reactions, Danny in particular. At one point, Tristan notes that this is Danny’s first face-to-face conversation with a ghost and for some reason that really made me stop and pause. Up until now, Danny has taken Tristan at his word, not unduly questioned him or made him feel even stranger than he already does. But this represents an opportunity for Danny to see what it is like for Tristan all of the time and I really appreciated this touch.
This was an excellent follow-up to the previous books, with call-outs to characters from other books that were lovely little hints for regular readers to pick up on without being obnoxious for people only now discovering the author. I look forward to the next book – the ending definitely set things up to be completely fascinating and also more than a little bit darker.
This book was like watching a romantic comedy with a little drama/murder for added spice and I really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend.
I received an ARC.
No comments:
Post a Comment