What do you think?
Rate this book
JJ Gilbert Mystery #5
The Devil and the Fool
JJ must overcome tragedy, old wounds, and losing her ability to communicate with the dead to solve this mystery. Will she get her gift back in time to decipher the spirit’s messages before it is too late?
In this latest JJ Gilbert Mystery, JJ must overcome a tragic death and the loss of her ability to communicate with the dead, making her amateur sleuth skills more valuable than ever before. The spirit of a young man who JJ could not save in life needs her help, but it won’t be easy to solve this mystery. Someone is in danger, and JJ is forced to rely on her police contacts as well as some unlikely sources.
JJ must face her past and change her perspective if she has any hope of solving this mystery. To get a clear understanding of the spirit’s messages, she will take some dangerous risks and face the consequences, but as always, she won’t let any missteps stop her from helping a spirit. Who is in danger, and will JJ find them in time to stop more tragedy and heartbreak?
In this latest JJ Gilbert Mystery, JJ must overcome a tragic death and the loss of her ability to communicate with the dead, making her amateur sleuth skills more valuable than ever before. The spirit of a young man who JJ could not save in life needs her help, but it won’t be easy to solve this mystery. Someone is in danger, and JJ is forced to rely on her police contacts as well as some unlikely sources.
JJ must face her past and change her perspective if she has any hope of solving this mystery. To get a clear understanding of the spirit’s messages, she will take some dangerous risks and face the consequences, but as always, she won’t let any missteps stop her from helping a spirit. Who is in danger, and will JJ find them in time to stop more tragedy and heartbreak?
Unknown Binding
First published June 9, 2021
5 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
About the author
Linda M. Williams
18 books60 followersLinda M. Williams doesn’t just write mysteries — she channels them. Her stories are a thrilling fusion of whodunnit suspense and supernatural intrigue, where strong, flawed women unravel secrets with grit, grace, and a little help from the other side.
For decades, Linda was a corporate powerhouse. But her true fascination lay elsewhere — in the whispers of mediums, the eerie truths behind psychic readings, and the haunting allure of shows like Ghost Whisperer. One reading changed everything: messages from her late parents urged her to write. It was a wild idea… but wild ideas make the best stories.
After retiring, Linda followed that nudge from the beyond and created JJ Gilbert — a psychic medium who solves crimes with intuition, courage, and a circle of loyal friends. JJ’s cases are tangled with emotion, danger, and messages from spirits who refuse to rest until justice is served.
Not one to stay earthbound, Linda launched The Caregivers — a sci-fi series starring Astra Newtown, a half-human, half-alien woman tasked with healing fractured planets across the universe. Astra’s journey is cosmic, but her struggles are deeply human.
Whether it’s ghosts or galaxies, Linda’s heroines are on quests for truth and transformation. They stumble, they fall, they fight — and through it all, they grow. Her books remind us that even in the darkest moments, light finds a way… until the next mystery calls.
For decades, Linda was a corporate powerhouse. But her true fascination lay elsewhere — in the whispers of mediums, the eerie truths behind psychic readings, and the haunting allure of shows like Ghost Whisperer. One reading changed everything: messages from her late parents urged her to write. It was a wild idea… but wild ideas make the best stories.
After retiring, Linda followed that nudge from the beyond and created JJ Gilbert — a psychic medium who solves crimes with intuition, courage, and a circle of loyal friends. JJ’s cases are tangled with emotion, danger, and messages from spirits who refuse to rest until justice is served.
Not one to stay earthbound, Linda launched The Caregivers — a sci-fi series starring Astra Newtown, a half-human, half-alien woman tasked with healing fractured planets across the universe. Astra’s journey is cosmic, but her struggles are deeply human.
Whether it’s ghosts or galaxies, Linda’s heroines are on quests for truth and transformation. They stumble, they fall, they fight — and through it all, they grow. Her books remind us that even in the darkest moments, light finds a way… until the next mystery calls.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 7, 2021
CA. Jordyn “JJ” Gilbert’s (twin, medium, photographer) jet landed at the Ontario International Airport.
The cab driver had picked her up, but she never made her destination.
Detective Sam Warner (Riverside PD) arrived at the scene. The cabbie was dead, but JJ was being attend to by the EMT’s.
Riverside Community Hospital ER. JJ was transported immediately.
Dr. Chon (Asian, f) was checking her vitals.
JJ (Italian restaurant waitress) has a ruptured spleen.
Patty Gilbert (mother) had come to her bedside.
After surgery Nurse Abby Silverman came to check JJ’s vitals.
Luke (BMF, family Italian restaurant, head chef) came to see how she was doing.
JJ went to stay with Patty until she got better.
JJ started having many seances. Interesting & bizarre.
JJ & Luke went to speak with Mrs. Betty Evans (60+).
The Tipsy Gypsy (4th St., gay bar). Danny Holt (co-owner, Colin’s liver recipient) needed to meet with JJ.
Joe White (owner) met with Luke to discuss wine options for Gradiados restaurant.
Sally Ricker called JJ to set up a meeting with the production team.
Natalie Garret received a heart transplant.
JJ must overcome a tragic death and the loss of her ability to communicate with the dead, making her amateur sleuth skills more valuable than ever before. The spirit of a young man who JJ could not save in life needs her help, but it won’t be easy to solve this mystery. Someone is in danger, and JJ is forced to rely on her police contacts as well as some unlikely source
JJ must face her past and change her perspective if she has any hope of solving this mystery. To get a clear understanding of the spirit’s messages, she will take some dangerous risks and face the consequences, but as always, she won’t let any missteps stop her from helping a spirit. Who is in danger, and will JJ find them in time to stop more tragedy and heartbreak?
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written Mystery book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great Mystery movie, or better yet a mini-TV series. It was just OK for me so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
The cab driver had picked her up, but she never made her destination.
Detective Sam Warner (Riverside PD) arrived at the scene. The cabbie was dead, but JJ was being attend to by the EMT’s.
Riverside Community Hospital ER. JJ was transported immediately.
Dr. Chon (Asian, f) was checking her vitals.
JJ (Italian restaurant waitress) has a ruptured spleen.
Patty Gilbert (mother) had come to her bedside.
After surgery Nurse Abby Silverman came to check JJ’s vitals.
Luke (BMF, family Italian restaurant, head chef) came to see how she was doing.
JJ went to stay with Patty until she got better.
JJ started having many seances. Interesting & bizarre.
JJ & Luke went to speak with Mrs. Betty Evans (60+).
The Tipsy Gypsy (4th St., gay bar). Danny Holt (co-owner, Colin’s liver recipient) needed to meet with JJ.
Joe White (owner) met with Luke to discuss wine options for Gradiados restaurant.
Sally Ricker called JJ to set up a meeting with the production team.
Natalie Garret received a heart transplant.
JJ must overcome a tragic death and the loss of her ability to communicate with the dead, making her amateur sleuth skills more valuable than ever before. The spirit of a young man who JJ could not save in life needs her help, but it won’t be easy to solve this mystery. Someone is in danger, and JJ is forced to rely on her police contacts as well as some unlikely source
JJ must face her past and change her perspective if she has any hope of solving this mystery. To get a clear understanding of the spirit’s messages, she will take some dangerous risks and face the consequences, but as always, she won’t let any missteps stop her from helping a spirit. Who is in danger, and will JJ find them in time to stop more tragedy and heartbreak?
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written Mystery book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great Mystery movie, or better yet a mini-TV series. It was just OK for me so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
August 16, 2021
Goodreads giveaway. DNF. I got to chapter 16 (about 25% of the way) and then had to call it. JJ is a medium. We know this because we are reminded of it every few pages. At the beginning of the book she is involved in a multi-vehicle accident and gets hurt and undergoes surgery. Also happening in said accident, car tires being shot out, and a young man dying - JJ holds his hand. As a result of the accident, JJ can no longer sense spirits, particularly that of her dead twin brother. In the past, JJ has apparently also helped the police solve multiple murders, and ‘oh no!, one of her ‘messages’ caused the death of one of the investigating cops. For the first 20% of the book, JJ proceeds to behave like a pissy teenager (she’s supposedly in her 20s and already a much in demand photographer). A friend, tired of the pissy teenager act, brings a psychic to her house to do a tarot card reading (which at first she resists, because she’s a medium you know, but not sure other people can be psychic too, explain that one to me please). Anyway, reading of great help, JJ needs to stop blaming herself for the detective and her brother’s deaths and all will be well! So she does, and lo and behold, her powers are back! Because she’s a medium, you know, and incomplete if she can’t sense spirits. So pretty much immediately, she gets a message. Colin, the young man who died in the accident, needs her to help someone who received one of his organs, because whoever this is, they’re in trouble. JJ then sets out to find out who received Colin’s organs, starting with calling his mother and upsetting her with ‘I’m a medium and your (dead) son needs my help’. WTF. Next, she goes to the cop investigating the accident, and asks her for a list of the organ recipients. Cop tells her to go away, that is private medical information, and no, she won’t get a warrant to request it, even though JJ is a medium and has a warning message from Colin that they need help!! But then!! JJ realizes she’s been volunteering at the hospital and has a nurse friend! So she goes and talks nurse into sitting down for lunch and proceeds to try and talk the nurse into breaking every ethical rule she has by getting her this information, because she’s a medium you know. Nurse doesn’t give much up, but promises to check on a couple things, which she undoubtedly is not supposed to do, but JJ tells her, don’t get yourself in trouble, but I really need to know some stuff, because Colin sent me a message that someone is in trouble, and being a medium and all, I must help them! At this point, I’d had quite enough. Plot line notwithstanding, I wasn’t wild about the writing style, it felt like not great YA, very simplistic and repetitive. I just couldn’t force myself to finish this.
August 3, 2021
I have not read a JJ Gilbert mystery before. I appreciate that I could pick this book up and not feel lost having not read the other books in the series.
After JJ was in the accident and lost her ability to speak to the dead I felt her reaction was a bit over the top because it was inevitable that her ability would come back. I also feel her investigating the people who got organs was not realistic. She took chances that the police would have a problem with and I feel most logical people would not do.
The spirits not really helping to solve the case quicker was disappointing. My favorite parts where when she was communicating with spirits.
The ending was a little to much of tying all up with a bow and everyone leading their happy lives.
I was glad to have had the opportunity to read this book because I am not sure I would have picked it without reading the others. Would like more experiences with her spirits.
After JJ was in the accident and lost her ability to speak to the dead I felt her reaction was a bit over the top because it was inevitable that her ability would come back. I also feel her investigating the people who got organs was not realistic. She took chances that the police would have a problem with and I feel most logical people would not do.
The spirits not really helping to solve the case quicker was disappointing. My favorite parts where when she was communicating with spirits.
The ending was a little to much of tying all up with a bow and everyone leading their happy lives.
I was glad to have had the opportunity to read this book because I am not sure I would have picked it without reading the others. Would like more experiences with her spirits.
September 8, 2021
Enjoyable!
I enjoyed the book and the JJ character. I hadn’t read any of the previous JJ Gilbert series and am fascinated by her Mediumship twist. I however, found this book a little frustrating as most chapters ended with JJ requesting help from an often times quiet spirit she was helping. Regardless, I would probably read some of the other books in the series as the overall book was pleasantly enjoyable.
I enjoyed the book and the JJ character. I hadn’t read any of the previous JJ Gilbert series and am fascinated by her Mediumship twist. I however, found this book a little frustrating as most chapters ended with JJ requesting help from an often times quiet spirit she was helping. Regardless, I would probably read some of the other books in the series as the overall book was pleasantly enjoyable.
August 21, 2021
Can’t wait to read more
This is the first book in the series I’ve read and now I can’t wait to read the rest. I loved how the medium was portrayed. The story moved quickly with many twists and turns. The characters came and went, their stories woven together. And JJ, with help, unraveled the mystery
This is the first book in the series I’ve read and now I can’t wait to read the rest. I loved how the medium was portrayed. The story moved quickly with many twists and turns. The characters came and went, their stories woven together. And JJ, with help, unraveled the mystery
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews