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Dead Man Mysteries #3
Dead Man Hand
Alice, Twila, Granny, Jack, Trucker and Miss Molly are at it again, this time in a haunted hotel in Red Dollar, New Mexico. Shades of the Wild West, the ghosts are carrying six-shooters! The villain is armed with Black Magic, and there's no escape for anyone during the ice storm.
Alice keeps telling herself this is Twila's gig, and she's only here to back up her aunt and mentor as they discipline some rowdy ghosts. But she and Granny and the pets are on their own when Twila's plane gets delayed. It's not the ghosts she's worried about, though. It's when she discovers the newly-dead woman in the hotel, and realizes someone has stolen the poor woman's hands, that she starts having misgiving. Here she is again, smack dab in the middle of another murder investigation, when she only signed on for free room and board as a reward for making a few disruptive ghosts obey the rules of ghostly behavior.
Twila rides in to do her share about the same time as Jack, Alice's ex. Even in the huge hotel, the quarters are too close for Alice to avoid remembering how she and Jack might be heading toward a friends-with-benefits twist to their divorced state. The villains are forced to step up their pace, though, with a homicide detective on the premises and the handless ghost who might expose their dastardly plans.
Alice keeps telling herself this is Twila's gig, and she's only here to back up her aunt and mentor as they discipline some rowdy ghosts. But she and Granny and the pets are on their own when Twila's plane gets delayed. It's not the ghosts she's worried about, though. It's when she discovers the newly-dead woman in the hotel, and realizes someone has stolen the poor woman's hands, that she starts having misgiving. Here she is again, smack dab in the middle of another murder investigation, when she only signed on for free room and board as a reward for making a few disruptive ghosts obey the rules of ghostly behavior.
Twila rides in to do her share about the same time as Jack, Alice's ex. Even in the huge hotel, the quarters are too close for Alice to avoid remembering how she and Jack might be heading toward a friends-with-benefits twist to their divorced state. The villains are forced to step up their pace, though, with a homicide detective on the premises and the handless ghost who might expose their dastardly plans.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 2, 2012
8 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
T.M. Simmons
24 books18 followers Trana Mae Simmons sold her first book two years from the time she started writing. After a decade and a dozen books in the romance genre, she now writes paranormal mysteries. The first book in her DEAD MAN series, DEAD MAN TALKING, was originally a release from Five Star Mystery. In addition to her writing, she enjoys developing her strengthening psychic powers. This has led her along the path of avid ghosthunting. Simmons delights in scaring herself silly at times during other-worldly encounters and has been known to visit graveyards in both the dark and full of the moon. She sometimes takes along her husband of 40+ years, Barney, to protect her from the bumps in the night, although he's been known to spy a ghost or two and retreat rather than confront. She's extremely willing to discuss her experiences with anyone she can corner.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 7, 2016
This is the third in the Dead Man series about two ghosthunters and their friends, animals and the adventures they have while helping ghosts to pass over to the Light.
This one starts with a gruesome murder in a hotel, as a woman is found hanging with her hands cut off. This does later lead to a couple of very funny and well written scenes involving the ghost and her hands - or lack of them. All well and good - the story is funny and the characters are believeable. However - and its a pretty big however - I have a major gripe with the author's continuity within the series.
If you read the author's intro, you get the impression that there has been a pretty big gap between books 2 and 3, and the author probably would have benefitted from re-reading her own books before carrying on with the story, becuas eshe has somehow managed to resurrect a character who was only ever referred to by name in the first book. In Dead Man Talking, Alice and Twila refer to someone called Cat Dancer, who was a friend of their Uncle Clarence. They had visited her and spent time with her, talking about their shared experiences before she died. And yet, in this book, she is suddenly alive and well and creating protection charms for their ghost hunting adventures, as well as sending supportive thoughts when they are trying to complete a ritual.
Another glitch is that, after Twila is the lead on all the rituals and opening the door for the ghosts previously, with Alice actually commenting that Twila never said the same thing twice in these rituals, all of a sudden it is Alice who is the stronger of the two for these rituals.
Perhaps it is because I am reading these so close together, but to me this is a glaring continuity error, whicb does spoil the series a little, although it doesn't really spoil the story.
*edit - the continuity error is resolved in the next book - just a shame the few words needed to resolve the issue weren't in this book instead.
This one starts with a gruesome murder in a hotel, as a woman is found hanging with her hands cut off. This does later lead to a couple of very funny and well written scenes involving the ghost and her hands - or lack of them. All well and good - the story is funny and the characters are believeable. However - and its a pretty big however - I have a major gripe with the author's continuity within the series.
If you read the author's intro, you get the impression that there has been a pretty big gap between books 2 and 3, and the author probably would have benefitted from re-reading her own books before carrying on with the story, becuas eshe has somehow managed to resurrect a character who was only ever referred to by name in the first book. In Dead Man Talking, Alice and Twila refer to someone called Cat Dancer, who was a friend of their Uncle Clarence. They had visited her and spent time with her, talking about their shared experiences before she died. And yet, in this book, she is suddenly alive and well and creating protection charms for their ghost hunting adventures, as well as sending supportive thoughts when they are trying to complete a ritual.
Another glitch is that, after Twila is the lead on all the rituals and opening the door for the ghosts previously, with Alice actually commenting that Twila never said the same thing twice in these rituals, all of a sudden it is Alice who is the stronger of the two for these rituals.
Perhaps it is because I am reading these so close together, but to me this is a glaring continuity error, whicb does spoil the series a little, although it doesn't really spoil the story.
*edit - the continuity error is resolved in the next book - just a shame the few words needed to resolve the issue weren't in this book instead.
December 19, 2016
Great addition to the two books before!
Once again Twila and Alice are out to save lost souls. This is set in New Mexico at an old West hotel. We find gunslingers, saloon girls and the current day Realtors and hotel owners. The question is who is going to cross into the light, who is going to jail and is Alice really ever going to say farewell to ex-husband, Jack.
Great twists to keep this book different.
Once again Twila and Alice are out to save lost souls. This is set in New Mexico at an old West hotel. We find gunslingers, saloon girls and the current day Realtors and hotel owners. The question is who is going to cross into the light, who is going to jail and is Alice really ever going to say farewell to ex-husband, Jack.
Great twists to keep this book different.
May 3, 2016
I've enjoyed this series and I like the characters. This 3rd book could have used an editor, however. 'Granny's childish lingo was overdone and a little annoying. The plot was vague and the conclusion not very believable. Throughout the story, the main character(s) were figuring things out with almost no input. This was a little confusing. I'm being generous with my 3 star rating. It is probably a max 2.5.
August 19, 2015
Alice, Granny, Jack and Twila wind up in the Old West with their ghost hunting, paranormal activities and a bit of romance. What secrets are buried in the old hotel in a small New Mexico town. Where the old west is still alive and the sheriff is crooked. Amusing with interesting characters.
August 19, 2015
It's no great literary work, but the story is relatively engaging. The final scenes were... bizarre.
Also, I've never liked Jack.
Also, I've never liked Jack.
March 19, 2016
It's a routine trip for the gang to cleanse ghosts so that a hotel can sell. However there is a murder on the first day. Too similar to the last book in that way. Lots of humor.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews