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Blood Visions Paranormal Mysteries #1
A Scrying Shame
Following a near death experience, twenty-five-year old Arie Stiles decides she might as well take the job nobody else wants: a crime scene clean-up technician. It’s good money, which she could use, and death doesn’t hold a lot of mystery for her.
Or so she thinks.
Arie isn’t on the job long before discovering she’s been “gifted” with a new psychic talent—the ability to scry. Whether she wants to or not, Arie can read the memories of the dead in their blood.
When she is assigned to clean the crime scene of Marissa Mason, the socialite author of the best-selling gold-diggers' bible, Arie finds herself haunted by blood visions day and night, and to her shock discovers an unexpected family connection to the victim. With her brother suffering the unwanted attention of the police as the primary suspect, can Arie face her fear of the blood visions long enough to follow the trail of clues left in the murdered woman's memories and find the real culprit?
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2015
76 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Donna White Glaser
17 books101 followersDonna White Glaser is the author of the Letty Whittaker 12 Step Mystery series. Like her main character, Donna is a psychotherapist and lives northwestern Wisconsin. As if that weren’t enough, she and her husband own a residential construction company where it’s Donna’s job to deal with any overly emotional, what-do-you-mean-you-can’t-put-roof-trusses-up-in-a-thunderstorm? clients. Strangely enough, she often comes up with ideas for creative murders and hiding bodies during business hours. Currently she is at work on the fourth Letty Whittaker 12 Step Mystery-THE BLOOD WE SPILL. Donna would love to hear from you via her website at www.donnawhiteglaser.com or on Twitter: @readdonnaglaser.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 21, 2017
A Scrying Shame by Donna White Glaser is a Kindle Scout book. This is a pretty good book. A girl dies and now she sees glimpses of the dead's life when she looks into the blood of the dead. She finds out when she takes up the job of a crime scene clean-up tech. This gift soon gets her into trouble and the mystery begins. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those that like psychic stories.
July 7, 2015
I received a copy of this book because I nominated it on Kindle Scout for publication and it was selected. I'm fairly certain there was no expectation of a review being posted for that copy, but I review every book I read.
I am honestly not sure what to say about this book right now. I really just want to gush and tell you that you have to read it because it's so good, but I personally don't find reviews like that to be particularly helpful for me, so I want to do better.
One of my favorite parts of this book is that it had me playing detective with Arie (pronounced R.E. like the initials) and kept me guessing about who the guilty party was and their motivation. There were a few times where I was sure I had it figured out, but I also found myself waffling between a couple of the suspects fairly regularly. I really enjoy books where things like that aren't really obvious in the beginning.
The story itself is told in limited omniscient third person, following Arie around and occasionally diving inside her head. By the end of the story I felt like Arie was basically my BFF, because BFF's tell you everything anyway!
Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was very entertaining, kept me guessing, and kept me turning the pages. I would definitely recommend it to mystery and suspense fans.
Reviewed on Just Another Girl and Her Books blog
http://www.justanothergirlandherbooks...
I am honestly not sure what to say about this book right now. I really just want to gush and tell you that you have to read it because it's so good, but I personally don't find reviews like that to be particularly helpful for me, so I want to do better.
One of my favorite parts of this book is that it had me playing detective with Arie (pronounced R.E. like the initials) and kept me guessing about who the guilty party was and their motivation. There were a few times where I was sure I had it figured out, but I also found myself waffling between a couple of the suspects fairly regularly. I really enjoy books where things like that aren't really obvious in the beginning.
The story itself is told in limited omniscient third person, following Arie around and occasionally diving inside her head. By the end of the story I felt like Arie was basically my BFF, because BFF's tell you everything anyway!
Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was very entertaining, kept me guessing, and kept me turning the pages. I would definitely recommend it to mystery and suspense fans.
Reviewed on Just Another Girl and Her Books blog
http://www.justanothergirlandherbooks...
October 13, 2019
This is the first book I've read by this author, and I'll definitely come back for more. Donna White Glaser's words painted pictures, lots of them, in my head while I was reading. I'd never heard of scrying before, but I definitely want to learn more about it. The main character, Arie, takes a job cleaning up death scenes. I find that fascinating. Rather than being morbid, I found it beautiful and wonderful. If you're a fan of paranormal, mysteries, and/or humorous reads--or all three like me--you don't want to miss this one. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series.
June 27, 2015
Paranormal Mystery with a heart
After a terrible attack in a parking garage, Arie Stiles of Wisconsin died for nearly 30 minutes, then she returned to life, details from her time in heaven fresh in her mind. After her sliced throat healed, Arie found a new job as a death/crime scene clean up tech for BioClean.
Though the job was gross, it paid well, and after all those hospital bills, Arie was hurting financially. After her first day on the job, it was clear that her memories of heaven weren’t the only thing she brought back. She now could scry on reflective surfaces and see images or sense feelings from the newly departed.
Even so, her team is the back-up team, so the work isn’t steady. With bills mounting, Arie is forced to move in with her grandpop, Grumpa, who is none too pleased at having his freedom/wings clipped.
When Arie’s team lands a homicide case, the victim is familiar to her because this is her brother’s former fiancé. She’ll move heaven and earth to prove her brother’s innocence, even if it means running afoul of a certain hunky detective.
This paranormal mystery has a cool premise and Arie’s extra abilities seemed understandable after her visit to the Other Side. Author Donna Glasser has me wondering when book two of this series will release.
After a terrible attack in a parking garage, Arie Stiles of Wisconsin died for nearly 30 minutes, then she returned to life, details from her time in heaven fresh in her mind. After her sliced throat healed, Arie found a new job as a death/crime scene clean up tech for BioClean.
Though the job was gross, it paid well, and after all those hospital bills, Arie was hurting financially. After her first day on the job, it was clear that her memories of heaven weren’t the only thing she brought back. She now could scry on reflective surfaces and see images or sense feelings from the newly departed.
Even so, her team is the back-up team, so the work isn’t steady. With bills mounting, Arie is forced to move in with her grandpop, Grumpa, who is none too pleased at having his freedom/wings clipped.
When Arie’s team lands a homicide case, the victim is familiar to her because this is her brother’s former fiancé. She’ll move heaven and earth to prove her brother’s innocence, even if it means running afoul of a certain hunky detective.
This paranormal mystery has a cool premise and Arie’s extra abilities seemed understandable after her visit to the Other Side. Author Donna Glasser has me wondering when book two of this series will release.
January 26, 2016
Not this book.
Other books I read written by this author was good. Characters in in this book are so shallow. Was determined to finish it and did, but don't recommend it. Arie died and come back, now can see the dead people.
Other books I read written by this author was good. Characters in in this book are so shallow. Was determined to finish it and did, but don't recommend it. Arie died and come back, now can see the dead people.
December 27, 2016
Very fun to read
I liked the diverse characters as it made them very real people. Could be in your own family. Fun murder mystery
I liked the diverse characters as it made them very real people. Could be in your own family. Fun murder mystery
May 18, 2017
Great read
It does not take twenty words to describe this book when only two words describe it accurately and it is a great read
It does not take twenty words to describe this book when only two words describe it accurately and it is a great read
August 25, 2017
This was a fun paranormal mystery. After a near-death (well, actually a real-death) experience, Arie has visions of and experiences the memories of the recently deceased. The characters are a blast and the plot keeps you wanting to read. There are plenty of suspects in the murder of the author... and some hit close to Arie's home. Plus a dash of romance on the horizon. Something mystery readers will enjoy trying to solve.
May 18, 2018
Arie has taken a job with Bio-Kleen, a firm that cleans up after crime scenes; it’s the first job she’s had since she was mugged, stabbed, and actually died before being revived. Oddly, since her near-death experience, she has been receiving revelations from beyond the grave that she really does not want--they become especially problematic when she is trying to clean up crime scenes. Ultimately, her new gift will help to solve a murder. A humorous cozy mystery which should appeal to fans of paranormals who also liked early Janet Evanovich (before every book involved an exploding vehicle and the boyfriend dilemma).
August 3, 2015
Arie Stiles gets knifed in a bark parking lot one night after completing her shift and ends up technically dead, for four minutes anyway. Those four minutes were so fabulous that she is pissed off she couldn’t stay on the Other Side. Her conservative pastor father is surprisingly supportive of her experiences, but her very proper, perfect pastor’s wife of a mother simply won’t hear of it. She thinks Arie is faking the whole episode, as do many others in her life.
Arie (her name is really R.E., and stands for something so hideous she refuses to tell anyone what it is) takes a job as a biohazard clean-up technician; the money is good, and death doesn’t bother her any more. On her very first job, she figures out she can scry - whether she wants to or not, she can read the memories of the dead in their blood. If the passing was easy, the memories are tolerable, but if the death was the result of a crime, the memories keep her up at night. One of the crime scenes she cleans has a surprising link to her very proper brother. In order to help him, she’ll have to do things she never thought possible.
Arie attends the funeral of one of the victims, worrying about fitting in so she can spy on the family on the sly. Describing the crowd, the author writes “It was the type of crowd that, money or no money, her mother would have blended in with. For one thing, Evelyn would have pulled the perfect saddened-but-not-a-member-of-the-immediate-family dress from her closet with matching I’m-so-sorry-shoes and an I-feel-your pain scarf that she would tie in one of those fancy, complicated knots.”
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I’m a huge fan of the author’s Letty Whittaker 12-step mysteries, and wasn’t sure how this one would go. Once I started reading, though, I was drawn to Arie and her struggles to fit in a place she doesn’t really want to be, having to deal with a “gift” she doesn’t really want. Arie is likeable and engaging, and the secondary characters are equally interesting (even the unpleasant mother). I hope there are more books in this series, Arie is someone I want to follow and see how she turns out. And I really want to know what her full name is.
Arie (her name is really R.E., and stands for something so hideous she refuses to tell anyone what it is) takes a job as a biohazard clean-up technician; the money is good, and death doesn’t bother her any more. On her very first job, she figures out she can scry - whether she wants to or not, she can read the memories of the dead in their blood. If the passing was easy, the memories are tolerable, but if the death was the result of a crime, the memories keep her up at night. One of the crime scenes she cleans has a surprising link to her very proper brother. In order to help him, she’ll have to do things she never thought possible.
Arie attends the funeral of one of the victims, worrying about fitting in so she can spy on the family on the sly. Describing the crowd, the author writes “It was the type of crowd that, money or no money, her mother would have blended in with. For one thing, Evelyn would have pulled the perfect saddened-but-not-a-member-of-the-immediate-family dress from her closet with matching I’m-so-sorry-shoes and an I-feel-your pain scarf that she would tie in one of those fancy, complicated knots.”
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I’m a huge fan of the author’s Letty Whittaker 12-step mysteries, and wasn’t sure how this one would go. Once I started reading, though, I was drawn to Arie and her struggles to fit in a place she doesn’t really want to be, having to deal with a “gift” she doesn’t really want. Arie is likeable and engaging, and the secondary characters are equally interesting (even the unpleasant mother). I hope there are more books in this series, Arie is someone I want to follow and see how she turns out. And I really want to know what her full name is.
December 28, 2015
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I received this book via Kindle Scout to give an honest review.
What really got me was the synopsis of the book and I was so glad this book was picked and I was given a chance to read it.
Arie was a normal woman until she had a NDE (near death experience) that ended up changing her life.
She is trying to stay a float though she needs to find a job to get bills paid and she really doesn't want to move in with her parents. So when she applies and gets hired to be a crime scene clean-up technician (which I think is really cool by the way) it helps her out a little bit. On her first job she gets her first experience with seeing things that happened in the person who died life which is actually pretty cool. With the help of her best friend she learns more about this new power she has developed along with trying to solve the murder of a famous writer.
This is where the story lies Arie is cleaning the crime scene of Marissa Mason and she starts getting visions of what seemed to go down the only thing not given is who is the killer. Arie takes it upon herself to find out who the killer is and you may be shocked. I was going back and forth from this person to the next thinking this had to be the one but I was even shocked.
Arie has to be very careful because she may be caught in the cross hairs of the killer without even realizing it.
I do hope that we get more stories with Arie and her visions. Will she find her calling in becoming a P.I. that can solve certain murders, or will she stay as a crime scene clean up technician? One can only hope. I think this author has a great way of pulling you into the story and having you wonder either who did it, or what will happen next. I also want to find out what her initials stand for R.E.
I loved the laughter that was in some parts of the book (especially when it involved her grandpa), the friendship she has with Chandra, the pace of the book was perfect to me. It wasn't too fast or too slow it was just right.
If you want a mystery and paranormal then check out this book.
I received this book via Kindle Scout to give an honest review.
What really got me was the synopsis of the book and I was so glad this book was picked and I was given a chance to read it.
Arie was a normal woman until she had a NDE (near death experience) that ended up changing her life.
She is trying to stay a float though she needs to find a job to get bills paid and she really doesn't want to move in with her parents. So when she applies and gets hired to be a crime scene clean-up technician (which I think is really cool by the way) it helps her out a little bit. On her first job she gets her first experience with seeing things that happened in the person who died life which is actually pretty cool. With the help of her best friend she learns more about this new power she has developed along with trying to solve the murder of a famous writer.
This is where the story lies Arie is cleaning the crime scene of Marissa Mason and she starts getting visions of what seemed to go down the only thing not given is who is the killer. Arie takes it upon herself to find out who the killer is and you may be shocked. I was going back and forth from this person to the next thinking this had to be the one but I was even shocked.
Arie has to be very careful because she may be caught in the cross hairs of the killer without even realizing it.
I do hope that we get more stories with Arie and her visions. Will she find her calling in becoming a P.I. that can solve certain murders, or will she stay as a crime scene clean up technician? One can only hope. I think this author has a great way of pulling you into the story and having you wonder either who did it, or what will happen next. I also want to find out what her initials stand for R.E.
I loved the laughter that was in some parts of the book (especially when it involved her grandpa), the friendship she has with Chandra, the pace of the book was perfect to me. It wasn't too fast or too slow it was just right.
If you want a mystery and paranormal then check out this book.
July 6, 2015
Being a Donna Glaser fan, I was very excited to see she was starting a new series alongside her Letty Whittaker mysteries. I nominated A Scrying Shame for Kindle Press and was even more excited when they notified me that my ARC copy was available! I dug into it immediately and Arie (pronounced R.E.) had me hooked immediately. She’s one of those women who doesn’t have it all together, in fact, she has nothing together; after all returning from The Other Side takes a lot of recovery. Once she recovers from her assault Arie takes a job doing crime scene clean up. It is there that she discovers she picked up a new skill on the other side, scrying. I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of scrying before, but it was so fun to learn about it along with Arie, who, as you can imagine, was quite surprised when she discovered this new ability. When she’s faced with cleaning up a grisly murder, the dead start talking to her and the blood tells her things she doesn’t want to hear. Things like, she might be living amongst a murderer.
The story is fast paced, mysterious and at times laugh out loud funny. I love how even when Arie knows things really suck, she can still laugh at herself with her best friend Chandra. You run all the way to the end with Arie until she discovers the murderer and stuns you with the reasons why. The wild web Ms. Glaser wove lets the reader know there will be many more Arie books to come, and I, for one, can’t wait for Scry Me a River! After all, I have to know just what R.E. stands for and if it’s really as embarrassing as Arie wants us to believe.
The story is fast paced, mysterious and at times laugh out loud funny. I love how even when Arie knows things really suck, she can still laugh at herself with her best friend Chandra. You run all the way to the end with Arie until she discovers the murderer and stuns you with the reasons why. The wild web Ms. Glaser wove lets the reader know there will be many more Arie books to come, and I, for one, can’t wait for Scry Me a River! After all, I have to know just what R.E. stands for and if it’s really as embarrassing as Arie wants us to believe.
April 26, 2016
Great New Series
Donna Glaser has started another great series with a female protagonist. The Blood Visions series is off to a rousing start with A Scrying Shame. I was glad my day was free of responsibilities so I could focus on reading this book.
Arie's life hasn't been the same since she died. She was stabbed one night leaving work and officially died while the doctors were trying to save her life. Her near death experience resulted in depression when she was forced back into her body. She liked heaven and really wanted to stay. Her life right now was a mess. She didn't have a job and her bills were accumulating at an alarming pace. Her rent was four months overdue and her mother said it was the perfect time for her to move in with her grandfather so she could keep an eye on him.
In her desperation for employment Arie interviewed for a job as a biohazard cleanup technician. When she went on her first job strange things began to happen. As she focused on the blood she was cleaning up she started having flashes of the dead person's life including the moments surrounding their death. As you can imagine, this was a major complication for her job and her life.
Glaser's sense of humor is evident throughout the book, it's one of the traits that make her characters so interesting and likeable. The plot was fast moving and the who done it was not evident. The suspect was unexpected and the reveal scene was awesome. Don't hesitate to read the new series, it's great!
Donna Glaser has started another great series with a female protagonist. The Blood Visions series is off to a rousing start with A Scrying Shame. I was glad my day was free of responsibilities so I could focus on reading this book.
Arie's life hasn't been the same since she died. She was stabbed one night leaving work and officially died while the doctors were trying to save her life. Her near death experience resulted in depression when she was forced back into her body. She liked heaven and really wanted to stay. Her life right now was a mess. She didn't have a job and her bills were accumulating at an alarming pace. Her rent was four months overdue and her mother said it was the perfect time for her to move in with her grandfather so she could keep an eye on him.
In her desperation for employment Arie interviewed for a job as a biohazard cleanup technician. When she went on her first job strange things began to happen. As she focused on the blood she was cleaning up she started having flashes of the dead person's life including the moments surrounding their death. As you can imagine, this was a major complication for her job and her life.
Glaser's sense of humor is evident throughout the book, it's one of the traits that make her characters so interesting and likeable. The plot was fast moving and the who done it was not evident. The suspect was unexpected and the reveal scene was awesome. Don't hesitate to read the new series, it's great!
October 17, 2015
Not really satisfying in any of the genres
This book attempts to mix paranormal, mystery and romance together in one, but fails to satisfy in any area.
There's a whole setup with the heroine's job as a forensic clean up technician that by the middle, she doesn't appear to be doing any more. That means it was a plot device solely to move things along to where the author wanted them to go.
The heroine's paranormal abilities. Again, just a vehicle to help het solve the mystery.
The requisite hunky detective who is instantly smitten fur no apparent reason? Yeah, he's just another device so the heroine can funnel info to and through him.
The heroine hates her name and goes by her initials, R.E. Why you ask? Too bad, you don't get to know.
A lot of nonsense about the heroine's grumpy grandfather is a red herring, just filler.
Unsatisfying climax with villain, then a quick tie-up and we're done.
Can't recommend.
This book attempts to mix paranormal, mystery and romance together in one, but fails to satisfy in any area.
There's a whole setup with the heroine's job as a forensic clean up technician that by the middle, she doesn't appear to be doing any more. That means it was a plot device solely to move things along to where the author wanted them to go.
The heroine's paranormal abilities. Again, just a vehicle to help het solve the mystery.
The requisite hunky detective who is instantly smitten fur no apparent reason? Yeah, he's just another device so the heroine can funnel info to and through him.
The heroine hates her name and goes by her initials, R.E. Why you ask? Too bad, you don't get to know.
A lot of nonsense about the heroine's grumpy grandfather is a red herring, just filler.
Unsatisfying climax with villain, then a quick tie-up and we're done.
Can't recommend.
June 29, 2015
If you take out the psychic story line (which you shouldn’t, it was fun), this book is a typical whodunit. The characters aren’t as fully developed as those in books by more seasoned writers but there is a lot of potential and I wouldn’t mind reading Donna White Glaser’s other books and any future Blood Visions mysteries. After all, I need to know what Arie (R.E.) stands for and see if it is a truly embarrassing name and I definitely want to read more about Grumpa. There is a possibility of a lot of witty banter between grandfather and grandchild. If you like paranormal mysteries, you will most likely enjoy this quick read.
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September 10, 2015
I nominated this book when it was a Kindle Scout entry, and I'm glad it won Kindle Press publication. The main character, Arie Stiles, who literally died after being mugged and came back to life, takes a job cleaning up death scenes. Her trip to the "Other Side" leaves her with the ability to see what happens to the victims, and in the case of murder, the killer. Arie, pronounced R.E., is a protagonist worthy of a series. Some of the dialogue had me chuckling, which is a compliment to Ms. Glaser's fresh writing style. Looking forward to book number two.
June 29, 2015
Really enjoyed this! Just enough "cleanup" 411 to make Arie's work believable, but not so much that you'll turn green. Great blend of cozy mystery, otherworldly goings-on, and thrills. (There's even a touch of meet-cute romance...) Glad I ran into this book at Kindle Scout. Glaser is a writer I want to get to know better. Ditto for the characters in this book. Thank goodness there's a note that a second book is coming. Looking forward to it!
September 1, 2015
How great was that? Started and ten o'clock last night, which was a mistake. Who needs their beauty sleep anyway? Shh, that was rhetorical. So fun! So funny! Lot's of insightful information, too, like, "Men don't take well to bananas leaping out of dark hallways." Noted.
Looking forward to Glaser's next novel and more about her fabulous heroine, Aire, giving us insights from what she can read, scrying blood on her job as a biotech.
Looking forward to Glaser's next novel and more about her fabulous heroine, Aire, giving us insights from what she can read, scrying blood on her job as a biotech.
October 7, 2015
If you're looking for a stick-to-your-ribs mystery with ingenious plot twists, vivid imagery, an awesome heroine, and a generous sprinkling of humor, this is it. An engrossing read from Donna White Glaser that left me eager to read more from this talented Kindle Scout winner. Fortunately, there are more on the way!
February 24, 2016
Okay, I admit it...I had absolutely no idea what scrying meant before reading this book. It's an intriguing concept and made for an interesting read. This book had plenty of mystery and suspense, a good dose of humor, and a just a touch of romance. All in all, it was fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable.
July 1, 2015
Great Read!
I voted for this book on Kindle scout and I'm so glad I did. I started reading and could not put this book down. I have never read this author before but I will be reading her now. It's a murder mystery with humor. So enjoyable!
I voted for this book on Kindle scout and I'm so glad I did. I started reading and could not put this book down. I have never read this author before but I will be reading her now. It's a murder mystery with humor. So enjoyable!
December 27, 2016
Surprisingly
Did not like the beginning. Seemed to drag. But once that snowball starts rolling, watch out! It was a great ride with twists and turns I never saw coming. Recommend as a good, quick and fun read.
Did not like the beginning. Seemed to drag. But once that snowball starts rolling, watch out! It was a great ride with twists and turns I never saw coming. Recommend as a good, quick and fun read.
June 25, 2015
I thought the first few chapters rushed a little, but I absolutely loved the storyline!! I wish this book had been twice as long! I read this quickly and didn't want to put it down.
July 9, 2015
Awesome
I nominated this book on Kindle Scout and I'm not disappointed. I have found anew favorite author and will be reading every book she publishes.
I nominated this book on Kindle Scout and I'm not disappointed. I have found anew favorite author and will be reading every book she publishes.
August 6, 2015
This was a fantastic read. I read it in about a day because I couldn't put it down . You get drawn in to the character's mind and keep wanting more!
September 24, 2015
Kept you guessing. I enjoyed it and hope to see another book with Arie, Chandra and detective O'Shea.
October 11, 2015
Different
I like this story. It was not like another psychic book. Arie is a surprise innocent but also strong in her desire for justice
I like this story. It was not like another psychic book. Arie is a surprise innocent but also strong in her desire for justice
October 22, 2015
Great read!!!
Keeps you guessing! This book was intense from start to finish and I highly recommend it! Can't wait to read others in the series.
Keeps you guessing! This book was intense from start to finish and I highly recommend it! Can't wait to read others in the series.
February 2, 2016
So believable and interesting. I like the interweaving of the family and friends into the story
March 3, 2016
Has a promising premise, but just fell short. Still a quick, entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews