Blackvine Manor

by Wendy Meadows

Following a corporate lay-off, the once focused and practical Alexis Cole finds herself questioning everything, especially her estranged mother's disappearance.

When her father shares the last crumpled correspondence from the mysterious and freewheeling Amelia, Alexis follows the clues to Blackvine Manor Apartments. Against her father's wishes, Alexis moves into the notoriously haunted buildings and unearths more than she ever thought possible.

Reeling from strange experiences with latent psychic abilities, Alexis soon realizes that her mother's connection to Blackvine Manor is attached to a family tragedy suffered by the skeptical landlord, Maxwell Charles. Her growing attraction to Maxwell is only tempered by his solid disbelief in what she can do.

In an effort to harness her new found senses, Alexis follows the clues left behind by her mother. Allowing herself to be led to the terrifying basement, she uncovers a secret the Charles family wishes had stayed buried forever.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Horror

224 pages, ebook

First published May 4, 2016

About the author

Wendy Meadows is a USA Today bestselling cozy mystery author who creates the perfect escape for readers who love amateur sleuths, small-town secrets, and mysteries you can solve with a cup of tea in hand.

Her beloved series—including Sweetfern Harbor, Alaska Cozy Mysteries, and Travel Writer Mysteries—feature quirky characters, family bonds, and charming whodunits with no gore, just gentle intrigue that keeps you guessing.

When she's not plotting her next puzzle, she's spoiling her pets, enjoying time with her two adult children, and hunting for the perfect hybrid tea rose to inspire her peaceful settings.

Join her cozy community and get a free ebook plus behind-the-scenes peeks into her stories and characters.

Reviews

[Barbara Behring · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I really cared about Alexis, Maxwell, George and even the ghosts! Wendy Meadows is an excellent writer who knows how to create characters and situations that are entertaining. I can't wait to read more from her.

[Marion Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself was good but the author asks you suspend belief in numbers. The mystery is 50 years old, the main characters are children when it happened but they are not in their 50's or early 60's but their 20's. I found the references to the years past stopped me in the midst of enjoying the tale. I would recommend this story if you are not a stickler for details.

[Margo James · Rating 3 out of 5]

So disjointed, this story jumped all over the place. Given the subtitle of 'the complete series' it is possible this is a series, with several pieces missing. The only interesting characters are the spirits. The mystery is how do all these novellas fit together, and for what purpose. Almost as an afterthought, not a plotline, the end is just tossed in with a few lines. Very surprised at the quality of this work because Ms Meadows is a talented and prolific writer. Well, we all have bad days.

[Naticia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very OK. You definitely need to read all the novellas in this set to have any idea what happened, and some of the explanations and descriptions were very confusing. I did not find the ending very satisfying either, and the characters all felt rather flat. Overall, an OK mental escape into a world of ghosts and psychics, but I'm glad I didn't pay money for it.

[Annette Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

For an author that has written so many books I can’t work out why this one doesn’t work despite it being a good story. The characters are shallow, the scenes chop from one to another and the ending is ...? What happened. Like the author ran out of things to say.

[Kat Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is hard for me to review actually because while I loved the characters and the storyline, it was difficult for me to figure out who was who and how were they related at the beginning. Once I kept reading, things eventually fell into place on that front. Another issue for me, was that it seemed to jump in tenses from present tense to past tense or future tense. I know that sounds odd, but something just kept setting off my “teacher” alarms. Obviously this is a well established, successful author, so perhaps it was just me that found the writing jumpy. I truly loved the story and enjoyed the book overall quite a lot!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time reading this author. It was a real page turner and I loved it. The main character is Alexis who moves into an apartment building where her mother was last seen years ago. There she meets Maxwell the owner and discovers that she she has power to see and hear spirits. Strange things start to happen and the building is haunted. It is amazing what she learns and how she gets there. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexis Cole lost her job and was looking for an apartment that she could afford when she found Blackvine Manor, only to find out it was haunted and that her missing Mother was supposed to have lived there. These 6 Novella's start with her story and continue through each one telling paranormal incidents and is full of suspense up to the end.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackvine Manor Mystery by Wendy Meadows
Alexis has psychic powers and can see dead people and events around these people. Gradually Alexis is able to answer questions that have bothered her for years.
I love a good ghost story and WENDY MEADOWS delivers.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackvine Manor by Wendy Meadows is a wonderful paranormal mystery story with the perfect amount of spookiness and a touch of romance.
Will Alexis find what she's looking for at Blackvine Manor?
This is a collection of novellas put together to complete the tale. We have a haunted apartment complex, numerous ghosts, a cold case murder, a jewel thief, a psychic or two and a medium, a ghost chaser, and the descendants of the cold cases. I love the setting. Blackvine Manor sounds very old Hollywood glamorous, with a few repairs needed. However, I love that it is kept original for the most part. Also, I would so be living in that beautiful penthouse apartment.
Alexis Cole
Alexis recently lost her job at an advertising agency, forcing her to rethink everything. Now she is on a quest to find her mother, master her newly found psychic abilities, and figure out the mystery of the Blackvine Manor, her new residence. And she found a guy. Her father isn't happy about any of these things. He thought he had raised her to be different from her mother.

I like Alexis. She's nice, friendly, and has a good heart. Her psychic abilities are pretty cool. I would be her friend. My favorite is she stands up to Maxwell regarding her gifts. She has a lot of character growth during her tale. She seems to find a happy ending. I hope they are living in the penthouse apartment at Blackvine Manor.
Four Stars
I love the premise, characters, and the setting of the book. However, the way the novellas bounced around was a bit disconnected. My rating for Blackvine Manor by Wendy Meadows mystery is four stars. Ms. Meadows has grown as a writer since she wrote these novellas. If you have time, be sure to check out her newer works. Most of them are available on Kindle.



Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Blackvine Manor by Wendy Meadows.

Until the next time,



 

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Katy The Sleepy Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to give this a solid 3.5 stars. I have read several books by this author, and I have enjoyed them. I received this book free for an honest review.

Alexis Cole has just moved into The Blackvine Manor Apartments when she starts experiencing some strange things. She sees apparitions and hears music that no one else hears. The manor is a notoriously haunted place. The landlord of the manor is a hunky, dark haired man named Maxwell and his grandparents once lived in and owned the manor. One night Alexis is led to the basement where she discovers the bones of Maxwells grandmother, Delia. She also sees her mother's spirit on the premises, even though she disappeared when Alexis was 10. What happened to her mother and who killed Delia and buried her in the basement? Can Alexis figure out how to control and harness her powers and solve the mystery of happened at Blackvine Manor.

I really liked the basis of the story; a haunted apartment complex, a woman with paranormal powers and the mystery of some stolen jewels and the murder of a woman who was buried in the basement of the manor. However, there were inconsistencies that were hard to overlook; the ages and timing of the characters, and there were several times where the events ended abruptly or something new would happen but there was no explanation. But my biggest complaint is the ending. I felt it was disjointed and abrupt. I wanted so much more from the last chapter and epilogue. I really needed more of a wrap up.

[DianaRaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLACKVINE MANOR by Wendy Meadows is a paranormal mystery about a haunted apartment building, a 50 year old cold case, a search for a missing mother and ghosts, a medium, and more ghosts. Ms Meadows has greatly improved her writing skills since 2016 when Blackvine Manor was first released. Since then, she has published some of the best books around.

This appears to be multiple novellas combined into one book, causing a little disjointed time sequences. Because the book mostly starts in the middle and then goes back to the beginning it gets a little confusing. Grammar, tense, and a few other small issues are present.

Looking for a less expensive place to live, Alexis was drawn to Blackview Manor. Moving in she meets a "ghosts hunter" and hears tales of the building being haunted. When she starts seeing a ghostly woman, Alexis joins forces with her new ghost hunting friend to discover what the ghost wants. Proving the ghost and hauntings are real is difficult as no one believes them, not even after finding a fifty year old body. Add more ghosts and a budding romance and you get an entertaining and fun story.

I was a little disappointed that the abrupt ending, it need more of a wrap-up Epilogue.

I did receive a free copy from the author and this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexis has lost her job and as a cost cutting measure, she takes a studio apartment in Blackvine Manor. Strange things happen there and Alexis begins to develop her paranormal gift. She sees events from the past and can sometimes communicate with the people in those events. As she meets her new neighbors and her landlord, she learns that she is not the only person experiencing other worldly activities.
This is an interesting book spanning relationships and time periods as long as 50 years ago. It is not always easy catching on to what is happening. The book jumps back and forth in time.
I enjoyed the story, and found mystery surrounding the ghostly events intriguing. I received a copy of the book for an honest review. I would definitely recommend this book for people who enjoy paranormal mysteries

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really do horror; about as dark as I get are Batman comics, Yu-Gi-Oh!, or Scooby-Doo direct-to-video flicks. If I'd known this fell into that genre, I wouldn't have downloaded it, even if it was free; I'm guessing it was, though I got it a while ago, so, I'm not sure.

However, this didn't feel very scary to me...which, in my case, is a good thing. It sort of felt like a television miniseries, or a video/computer game with multiple "stages". While it was entertaining, I doubt I'll bother with it again.

Then again, since I got it from Apple Books, it's now part of my permanent collection, so, years down the road, I may forget that I ever tried it in the first place, and read it one more time...and then again years later...

[Suzanne Hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting cozy paranormal story. The book is a collection of novellas about Alexis who is trying to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance and gets wrapped up in several other mysteries that are decades old. This book has interesting characters both alive and ghostly. The dialogue is well written. The romance is a nice touch to the story bring the two families together. The main struggle for Alexis is nonbelievers making her question her own abilities. The novellas are not in chronological order so it takes a bit of time to get into them. I found the book interesting and read it in one sitting. If you like Wendy Meadows, like I do, then you will like this mystery.

[CHud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy stories involving supernatural elements, so this plot was interesting to me. There were some inconsistencies with the timing that bothered me, such as the age of the main (living) characters as compared to the timing of the robbery and murder of Delia, who was the grandmother of Maxwell. However, I was willing to overlook those inconsistencies as the story held me in place. My main complaint was the ending which leaves the reader just hanging on the edge of the cliff wondering just what was happening. Did the author crash against a deadline, or maybe there will be more chapters to come? I wish I knew because I would like to read more!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderfully written paranormal cozey mystery the characters will draw you in from the very beginning, I know they did me.Each character is so different yet alike strong in their beliefs warm hearted some searching for truths, a place to belong and love of another human being and for one a treasure. And if that wouldn't draw you in enough then there's the enticement and intrigue of a missing person , an unknown murderer and who stole from the thief. It's a journey through event's of many to come through with the full truth. Acquire " Blackvine Manor " for hours of paranormal intrigue and enjoyable entertainment. Kat

[April Flach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend reading book 2 first. That's where it all begins. Reading it from book 1 left me confused. Honestly, I'm still confused, even after reading the whole thing. There's missing context, and huge gaps in the timeline. Not a lot of background information either. I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately I cannot say that I did. I liked the concept, and the writing wasn't that bad, but I wasn't all that impressed.

I received a free digital copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Geneva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my type of book, but I read it all. Very interesting, Alexis is looking for her mother, who disappeared years ago. Alexis inherited the ability to see ghosts and progressed to being able to talk to them. Living in Blackvine Manor gave her more insight to what happened to her mother.
This book is great for those who like this type of reading

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Murder from the past has taken over Blackvine Manor. Along with ghosts. Alexis Cole moved in even after hearing the major is haunted. In the hopes of finding out what happened to her mother, who disappeared years ago, she goes back to the place her mother was last seen. Ghost stories are not my thing, but this one was alright. I give it 2 1/2 stars.

[Lisa Denn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange book to say the least. The organizational value of this book is truly off. The story opens with the ending then goes forward and backward in time telling an out of order story in my opinion. When you finish the book things begin to make a smattering of sense giving the book's content a final "Hail Mary"save, hence the three star rating.

[Narelle Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a freebie in return for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the story, but found a few grammatical errors and wondered if I received a copy of the book before it was proofread. It didn't matter, I still enjoyed it. I guessed some of the story and was way out on other parts, definitely a good thing, can't have it all.

[Susan Dabrusky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading anything by Wendy Meadows and it was a terrific page turner. This book kept me enthralled from first page to last. The characters were wonderfully developed and the scenes painted so well I really thought I was in the house with them. Want a grabbing mystery that you will have trouble figuring the end out then try this easy read, it was a real pleasure! Can't wait to read more of Wendy's work

[Andrea Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this cozy mystery about solving an old murder. I liked all the people in the book and finished it just before noon today. It was a page turner and I was glad I was home today to finish it.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book. It is divided into several novellas that must be read together to comprise the complete book. The book reads like a play. I do not believe I've ever read a book like this before.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a really good book. It was well researched and well written. I enjoyed the story itself as well as the characters. I especially liked the ending. Finding out the truth about Bella and how everything started. I look forward to reading more from Wendy Meadows.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

This was another of those books that I really wanted to love, but just couldn't quite make the connection. Also, the ending was rather abrupt and even though everything was tied up nicely, it seemed as though something was missing.

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing ghostly mystery. The storyline is full of suspense and adventure, while the characters were a mix of living and dead. I can't wait for more from this author. I received this book as a FREE copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Sandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even though I thought it was rather long. I liked the characters and the plot.

[Debby Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read. Read straight through. Made a sleepless night much more interesting. Good book.