Once Bitten, Twice Turned

by Ava Silvers

Something dangerous is preying on Shadow Hollow, and even magic can’t discover the truth.

Just when Hazel Goode finally solves her sister’s untimely murder, another body turns up dead. Only this time, it’s not a witch. It’s a werewolf, and he’s been mutilated beyond recognition.

A magic ritual shows the culprit murdering these people is actually dead itself, and Hazel feels and obligation to take care of the supernatural goings on in Shadow Hollow. The SHPD can’t be trusted, and the Gallatin Co Sheriff’s Office isn’t equipped for supernatural crime. That leaves Hazel and her magic to do what she can… with the help of a sexy, but brooding vampire.

As the murders escalate with no common MO, nobody is safe. And if Hazel can’t figure out what “dead” thing is killing people, more people will die. But how is she supposed to save the day when her sister’s ghost is telling her the only way to do so is to tap into dark and dangerous magic that goes against everything Hazel believes in?

CREATURES OF THE MIDWEST continues with Book Once Bitten, Twice Turned, a small town urban fantasy murder mystery series that fans of True Blood and Midnight, Texas are finding utterly addicting.

Scroll up and one click to start reading this cozy small town fantasy today!

228 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 22, 2024

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hazel Goode is returning to Shadow Hollow, Montana where she will move for good from Georgia She has her haunted house with ghosts and a job at Wilde Aire, the garage and her boss Liam.\
She's a witch who can see ghosts and has her dead sister Willow haunting her. Her sister wants her to do a ritual that will bind her to this realm. Hazel is relunctant because it is blood magic and
dark. Then two murders occur in the town. The Shadow Hollow witches invite her to a ritual for scrying. The sheriff has asked for their help with the murders. So she goes. She is surprised by
the fact that she sends out energy that knocks everyone down but when they scrye she sees something that no one else sees. She thinks this is a little coincidental and she doesn't believe in
coincidental. She goes to talk to Corwin Pitts,a two-hundred-sixty-nine year old vampire to find out if he had anything to do with the murders. That's when she tells him about the shadow
she saw. She decides to go the the library and ask the Librarian a question. When she receives an answer with the loan of books she discovers that it could be a revenant. She and Corwin decide
to investigate. They see the shadow she saw in the scrying. A few days later they manage to capture the shadow only to find that it is a male that Corwin had turned into a vampire. The only
problem is that Corwin is the last vampire other than her sister who he turned a few years before. How when she discovered the reason for him being the last vampire. Is this the end of the
mystery or is there more coming? Who turned Eric into what he is now? Is the dead mayor's cronies still up to no good? How will this effect Hazel and her friends?
And why does it feel like she is being drawn to The Crazy Mountains? What's waiting for her there?
Mystery upon mystery with a little romance thrown in. Will keep the reader guessing till the last page.

[Tom Intiso · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nice effort

But just a bit lacking….

It’s always fun to see how authors handle the paranormal when they are “world building” for a new story. Ava Silvers’ opening push with this series’ first book was frankly remarkable and deeply engaging.

THIS installment is definitely a bit more fun than the first, and the writing continues to be top notch, but this book takes us NO where. There’s all this buildup, not to mention all the tension still hanging on from the first book, but absolutely nothing gets resolved. Well, that’s not true… the mystery that is central to the plot of this book DOES get resolved, but that too is so banal in the way it is handled that I almost felt cheated.

Then there’s the ending. It comes so abruptly and so suddenly that I feel like I need to be checked for whiplash.

Finally, our heroine consistently acts in ways quite contrary to the person we came to know in the first book, and she makes one hugely significant choice that seems 1,000% wrong for her character. To compound this error, the outcome of that choice is handled in such a stereotypical manner that altogether it really felt like this book and the first book were written by two different people.

The story however is pretty darn good and I’m not gonna give up just yet. I’m gonna give it at least two more books. If things haven’t improved by that point, then I’ll just give up and move on.

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Mystery

Something is killing and partially eating residents of this small town. The new witch in town is determined to find out who. This time with not only the help of her new friends, but also the local coven. This was a great story. I am loving the series and have preordered the next 2 books.

[Gregory A Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little bit of everything

Excellent plot. If you like all things paranormal then you will love this book. It contains a little bit of everything. I am looking forward to reading book 3.