Who Do, Voodoo?

Not Recommended

There are holes in this not particularly scary story that you could drive a horse-drawn carriage through. It is incredibly contrived and doesn't offer one single twist that a careful reader can't see coming 20 pages ahead. The only thing frightening about this book was how slow and boring it was. The plot was dull, the characters were flat. I just wanted it to end.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wish it lived up the hype

Nothing special. Ordinary writing and an average plot. Cute cover tho.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I liked it

good story, but I didn't keep reading until I finished. that's my gold standard, if I can sleep b4 it's finished, it's just ok.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

an entertaining, fast-paced twisting amateur sleuth

Clinical psychologist Liz Cooper is a rational person who scoffs at the supernatural. On the other hand, her friend Robin believes in voodoo and other paranormal phenomena; so not surprisingly she becomes upset when someone places threatening tarot cards on her front door; these were the cards laid out when read by Liz's mother. Needing to better understand the supernatural and what the cards mean, her brother introduces her to religious teacher Nick Garfield.

After tracing the cards to a charlatan thanks to Nick's friend, they are invited to a concert act where they will be able to go back stage due to Robin's boss. There they meet the boss's girlfriend Sophie, a powerful person who gets into a fight with Robin who refuses to allow her into the office to see her boyfriend. As Nick and Liz walk to their car, they find a dead Sophie in her vehicle. The police charge Robin with murder. Convinced her friend is innocent, Liz with Nick's help investigate but to succeed the logical shrink needs to embrace the supernatural.

Ignoring why the professor and the psychologist investigate rather than hire a professional to make inquiries, fans will enjoy accompanying the charming lead pair as they explore the supernatural. In her debut, Michelle Staab provides an entertaining, fast-paced twisting amateur sleuth. The author casts a spell on sub-genre readers with this engaging glimpse into Who Do, Voodoo?

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Nicely Developed Characters

Liz Cooper is your typical, no nonsense clinical psychologist. Her mother though, is another matter, for she is a tarot card reader and occultist and Liz has been trying to pull her head from the clouds for years. Liz’s dear friend Robin is a successful associate with a PR company and deals with the idiosyncrasies of the rich and famous every day.
After Mrs. Cooper did a tarot reading for Robin’s husband and he died the day after—Robin has been very superstitious. The book starts off with the sudden appearance of the cards that were part of that fatal spread are ending up on her porch…stuck to her door and Robin is living in fear.
Liz is smart and realistic. She is very curious and protective of her friend. So when more cards keep appearing and the police are not overly enthusiastic about mysterious tarot cards, Mrs. Cooper suggests that Liz speak to Dr. Nick Garfield occult expert and professor at the local university. He is the consultant contacted when the police have questions beyond the normal. Nick is also the old college roommate of Liz’s brother who is currently a police officer.
When the girlfriend of Robin’s boss ends up dead and everyone remembers hearing a huge public argument between Robin and the girlfriend, the finger of justice ends up pointing at Robin. Liz’s protective nature and Nick’s occult knowledge kick in to save the day.
This is a wonderful mystery and it keeps you guessing until the very end. The characters are developed nicely and I definitely want to see them again. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great mystery with a paranormal bent.
Reviewed by Kestrel T. Andersen for Suspense Magazine

A Great Debut

What a great debut! Tarot cards, spells, mystical illusions are what non-believer Liz faces when her best friend is accused of murder. Working with an occult expert, Liz determination to clear her friend exposes her to an unknown entity. This well-crafted mystery was a fun read that snagged my attention from the first sentence to the delightful end. The page-turning and could not put down book kept me engaged in the mystery as it unraveled to reveal the killer. The burgeoning friendship and banter between Liz and Nick was entertaining and I can¿t wait to see how their relationship progresses. The supporting casts are lovable and the snippets of movie dialogues woven into the story were enjoyable. The cards have been played for a long and terrific future for this charming and appealing entry into the cozy mystery genre.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent Cozy Mystery!

Psychologist Liz Cooper¿s best friend is being terrorized by tarot cards! Liz thinks it¿s a sick prank but her friend, Robin, is taking it very seriously. After all, those same tarot cards predicted her husband¿s untimely death. There¿s no way Robin wasn¿t going to be worried, she has a daughter to think about. Liz looks to her older brother¿s best friend, Nick, for help. He¿s very familiar with the occult and the supernatural community. Together, they desperately try to find the answers to help Robin. When a dead body turns up and Robin is the prime suspect, they know they have to step up their efforts and clear Robin¿s name once and for all. I can¿t believe this is the first book by this author. It¿s amazing, to say the least! I loved every minute of it. I felt as if I was on an emotional ride with the heroine. I was desperately trying to figure out who was behind the murder and I was wrong (I¿m usually right about these things ¿ LOL). It¿s a fast-paced, murder mystery that will definitely leave readers wanting more. The characters were realistically portrayed and characters you could be sympathetic towards (or hate, depending on the character). I never wanted to put this book down and was very sad the story was over. This is cozy mystery to perfection! FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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