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Cold Case Psychic #1
Dead Speak
Demoted to the cold case squad after shooting a suspect in the line of duty, Detective Ronan O’Mara knows that his career with the Boston Police Department is hanging by a thread. His first assignment is the case of Michael Frye, a five-year-old boy who has been missing for seven years. With no new leads or witnesses to interview, Ronan has to start from scratch to solve this mystery. When he sees a handsome local psychic on television, Ronan figures he’s got nothing to lose in enlisting the man’s help to find Michael.
Psychic Tennyson Grimm is riding high after helping South Shore cops find a missing child. He’s even being courted by the Reality Show Network about a program showcasing his abilities. He has no idea that his midday appointment with a customer, who instead turns out to be a police detective, is going to change the course of his life and his career.
With the blessing of the BPD, which badly needs an image make-over, Ronan is allowed to bring Tennyson in to assist with the Frye case. Being thrown together in front of cameras is never easy, but add in an emotional missing person’s investigation, a tight-lipped spirit, and a cop who’s a skeptic, and it definitely puts a strain on both men and their working relationship.
When the child’s body is found, the work to identify his killer begins. As Ronan and Tennyson get closer to solving the case, the initial attraction they feel for one another explodes into a passion neither man can contain.
Psychic Tennyson Grimm is riding high after helping South Shore cops find a missing child. He’s even being courted by the Reality Show Network about a program showcasing his abilities. He has no idea that his midday appointment with a customer, who instead turns out to be a police detective, is going to change the course of his life and his career.
With the blessing of the BPD, which badly needs an image make-over, Ronan is allowed to bring Tennyson in to assist with the Frye case. Being thrown together in front of cameras is never easy, but add in an emotional missing person’s investigation, a tight-lipped spirit, and a cop who’s a skeptic, and it definitely puts a strain on both men and their working relationship.
When the child’s body is found, the work to identify his killer begins. As Ronan and Tennyson get closer to solving the case, the initial attraction they feel for one another explodes into a passion neither man can contain.
Will working together to bring Michael’s killer to justice seal their fledgeling bond, or will unexpected revelations in the case tear them apart forever?
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 9, 2018
460 people are currently reading
945 people want to read
About the author
Pandora Pine
135 books606 followersSick of the slogging rat-race of her 9-5 job, Pandora Pine put pen to paper (literally!) to make her ambition of becoming a romance novelist a reality. She cut her teeth in the dog-eat-dog world of fanfiction, still dreaming of the day when she would be a published author. She lives in Massachusetts with her blabbermouth muse who’ s a fan of middle of the night plot twists.
In her spare time, Pandora fancies herself an amateur nature photographer. She enjoys mucking around in swamps, hiking through the woods and crawling around on her hands and knees in her backyard seeking out the perfect shot. Pandora is a fan of roadside seafood shacks and always thinks Mexican food is a good idea at the time.
Some of Pandora’s favorite things are chocolate, writing longhand with purple pens and handsome men falling in love with each other.
Don't miss Pandora’s seductive new novel coming soon to an e-reader near you.
In her spare time, Pandora fancies herself an amateur nature photographer. She enjoys mucking around in swamps, hiking through the woods and crawling around on her hands and knees in her backyard seeking out the perfect shot. Pandora is a fan of roadside seafood shacks and always thinks Mexican food is a good idea at the time.
Some of Pandora’s favorite things are chocolate, writing longhand with purple pens and handsome men falling in love with each other.
Don't miss Pandora’s seductive new novel coming soon to an e-reader near you.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
March 17, 2018
3.75 Stars!
I'm a fan of cop/PI books. I really enjoy them when there's a psychic involved. I just enjoy the trope. So when I came by this one while cruising Amazon I had to add it to my long list of books to read.
Ronan is working a missing persons cold case after he was demoted to the cold case squad. The missing person is a 5 year old boy who was taken from his front yard. Michael Frye has been missing for 7 years and with Ronan finding no new leads he decides to take his chance on a local psychic who he recently saw being interviewed on TV for helping the police locate a kidnapped child. Ronan doesn't believe in this kind of thing but he's desperate and knows that his job is hanging on him solving this case.
Tennyson is getting a lot of attention after he helped find a missing boy and there is even talks of a reality show. What he didn't see coming was the detective he had an appointment with to be joining him on this new show teaming up to solve his missing child's case. Ten came upon his gift young. He also realized he was gay young too. But knowing and saying it to your religious family is another thing. But Tennyson couldn't keep it from them long. They reacted badly and said they were obligated to continue care for him until the age of 18 but after that he was on his own. Thankfully he didn't end up on the streets like so many and has found a family with fellow psychics.
These two working together had many ups and downs. Ronan disbelieving of Tennyson's gift was a major problem for some of the book which often left them at odds with each other. What was not at odds was their attraction to each other. As time went on their interactions and their ability to work together strengthened. They made a great team and I enjoyed them getting to know each other as well.
The big aha moment of who the killer was didn't surprise me. I wasn't a 100% in the know throughout the book, but I did happen to figure it out way before the clues showed their hand. I really enjoyed the story and getting to know these characters. It's definitely a series I will be continuing with.
Happy reading dolls! xx
I'm a fan of cop/PI books. I really enjoy them when there's a psychic involved. I just enjoy the trope. So when I came by this one while cruising Amazon I had to add it to my long list of books to read.
Ronan is working a missing persons cold case after he was demoted to the cold case squad. The missing person is a 5 year old boy who was taken from his front yard. Michael Frye has been missing for 7 years and with Ronan finding no new leads he decides to take his chance on a local psychic who he recently saw being interviewed on TV for helping the police locate a kidnapped child. Ronan doesn't believe in this kind of thing but he's desperate and knows that his job is hanging on him solving this case.
Tennyson is getting a lot of attention after he helped find a missing boy and there is even talks of a reality show. What he didn't see coming was the detective he had an appointment with to be joining him on this new show teaming up to solve his missing child's case. Ten came upon his gift young. He also realized he was gay young too. But knowing and saying it to your religious family is another thing. But Tennyson couldn't keep it from them long. They reacted badly and said they were obligated to continue care for him until the age of 18 but after that he was on his own. Thankfully he didn't end up on the streets like so many and has found a family with fellow psychics.
These two working together had many ups and downs. Ronan disbelieving of Tennyson's gift was a major problem for some of the book which often left them at odds with each other. What was not at odds was their attraction to each other. As time went on their interactions and their ability to work together strengthened. They made a great team and I enjoyed them getting to know each other as well.
The big aha moment of who the killer was didn't surprise me. I wasn't a 100% in the know throughout the book, but I did happen to figure it out way before the clues showed their hand. I really enjoyed the story and getting to know these characters. It's definitely a series I will be continuing with.
Happy reading dolls! xx
February 18, 2018
This should have been perfect for me but there were several things that really marred the reading experience:
The Ex - Josh. I couldn't grapple with what Ronan ever saw in him and you experience exactly zero of their relationship so there is nothing to help you understand that choice at all. Josh is an ass. At to that, being married and both homicide cops seems like it would be a bit more difficult then this book portrayed. It just felt off to me. That and the ex Josh being married w/in a very short amount of time after the breakup to a woman who is nowhere in this book left me quite puzzled
The Cop Parts - OK. What? So dude is cleared of all wrongdoing and gets busted down to cold case. He's an alcoholic too apparently but it is not clear whether that was the case for a long time or only for a couple months after his husband divorced him. The police department paying for a rehab on the beaches of Florida? Huh. Seems weird. Also, law enforcement personnel I would think would be more understanding of the alcoholism - that's a very common problem w/folks that have these types of jobs (violence, addiction, mental issues) due to the stress. I would have expected him to have some consequence of the drinking and rehab but it felt strange for it to be his "last chance" to prove himself. Also Ronan never seems to jones for anything alcoholic that I remember and the only time the fact he's an alcoholic is brought up is when ordering soda, explaining his career decline, and to mention towards the end AA. For someone brand new out of rehab - that didn't ring true.
The ItsTooSoon - insta luv. There was no build up - to go from harsh skepticism and assholery straight to I love you so quickly in the middle of the emotions of the case felt off. Too much. Too soon. There was no attempt to draw out their relationship - and there was a lot of potential here to build sexual tension, trust, and care. It fell flat and I didn't see them at all as a couple until the very end - and even then I think their chances of making it are infinitesimal.
The Bellowing and the No Filters- this book had VERY loud characters who often shouted. Ronan in particular, had this habit. He also had no filter - and did not care much for privacy either often blurting or sharing things that were private. And he's a cop?
The It'sTooMuch Issue - (The People) For the longest time I could not keep Cole and Carson separate - they were 100% merged in my head. Then there was the other guy who also got merged. I felt like too many people were introduced too early and confusion reigned until about 60% when they became easier to separate. Then there was the actions of the others which were inconsistent. The HUGGING in the precinct between partners or even ex partners - I volunteered in a police station and that much hugging would have been weird. It's a workplace - I don't huge my coworkers every time I see them at work. (The Plot) Too much staff happening - this needed to ditch some plot and character elements because it diluted the story completely. For the plot A psychic OR a Reality Show. The reality show piece was solely a plot device and felt hollow and ill suited to the story. Plus too much sex in the middle of every movement in plot - waiting a long while and letting them grow as a couple and then introducing sex would have read far better.
This needed: a lot more exposition and explanation of Ronan and Josh's relationship including a real look in (and not just told to us via telling - but some experience so we had an idea of what it was like because) as to what happened, a much clearer picture of the alcoholism - and Ronan to be handling things related to it that required help....then it needed to either introduce the psychic OR the reality show but not both because one was enough....then he and Ten needed to learn how to trust each other and to have some build up of tension and growth of understanding ....and that would have let them focus more on case and less on them.
The mystery of of the who done it I had figured out with a single line very early on. That was a bummer. But the mystery itself - I liked it and thought the basic plot there was great and could have, w/o the other things to get it off focus, really been awesome. Loosing the very early give away line of course.
I may read the next one assuming the reality TV goes and since we have some minimal understanding of Ronan's background - perhaps the It'sTooMuch Issue will leave and we can see either a relationship w/mystery subplot or vice versa.
The Ex - Josh. I couldn't grapple with what Ronan ever saw in him and you experience exactly zero of their relationship so there is nothing to help you understand that choice at all. Josh is an ass. At to that, being married and both homicide cops seems like it would be a bit more difficult then this book portrayed. It just felt off to me. That and the ex Josh being married w/in a very short amount of time after the breakup to a woman who is nowhere in this book left me quite puzzled
The Cop Parts - OK. What? So dude is cleared of all wrongdoing and gets busted down to cold case. He's an alcoholic too apparently but it is not clear whether that was the case for a long time or only for a couple months after his husband divorced him. The police department paying for a rehab on the beaches of Florida? Huh. Seems weird. Also, law enforcement personnel I would think would be more understanding of the alcoholism - that's a very common problem w/folks that have these types of jobs (violence, addiction, mental issues) due to the stress. I would have expected him to have some consequence of the drinking and rehab but it felt strange for it to be his "last chance" to prove himself. Also Ronan never seems to jones for anything alcoholic that I remember and the only time the fact he's an alcoholic is brought up is when ordering soda, explaining his career decline, and to mention towards the end AA. For someone brand new out of rehab - that didn't ring true.
The ItsTooSoon - insta luv. There was no build up - to go from harsh skepticism and assholery straight to I love you so quickly in the middle of the emotions of the case felt off. Too much. Too soon. There was no attempt to draw out their relationship - and there was a lot of potential here to build sexual tension, trust, and care. It fell flat and I didn't see them at all as a couple until the very end - and even then I think their chances of making it are infinitesimal.
The Bellowing and the No Filters- this book had VERY loud characters who often shouted. Ronan in particular, had this habit. He also had no filter - and did not care much for privacy either often blurting or sharing things that were private. And he's a cop?
The It'sTooMuch Issue - (The People) For the longest time I could not keep Cole and Carson separate - they were 100% merged in my head. Then there was the other guy who also got merged. I felt like too many people were introduced too early and confusion reigned until about 60% when they became easier to separate. Then there was the actions of the others which were inconsistent. The HUGGING in the precinct between partners or even ex partners - I volunteered in a police station and that much hugging would have been weird. It's a workplace - I don't huge my coworkers every time I see them at work. (The Plot) Too much staff happening - this needed to ditch some plot and character elements because it diluted the story completely. For the plot A psychic OR a Reality Show. The reality show piece was solely a plot device and felt hollow and ill suited to the story. Plus too much sex in the middle of every movement in plot - waiting a long while and letting them grow as a couple and then introducing sex would have read far better.
This needed: a lot more exposition and explanation of Ronan and Josh's relationship including a real look in (and not just told to us via telling - but some experience so we had an idea of what it was like because) as to what happened, a much clearer picture of the alcoholism - and Ronan to be handling things related to it that required help....then it needed to either introduce the psychic OR the reality show but not both because one was enough....then he and Ten needed to learn how to trust each other and to have some build up of tension and growth of understanding ....and that would have let them focus more on case and less on them.
The mystery of of the who done it I had figured out with a single line very early on. That was a bummer. But the mystery itself - I liked it and thought the basic plot there was great and could have, w/o the other things to get it off focus, really been awesome. Loosing the very early give away line of course.
I may read the next one assuming the reality TV goes and since we have some minimal understanding of Ronan's background - perhaps the It'sTooMuch Issue will leave and we can see either a relationship w/mystery subplot or vice versa.
November 28, 2018
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*The Timeline Didn't Work Right*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Detective Ronan ‘Ro’ O’Mara's job is hanging by a thread after shooting a suspect and he get's assigned the case of a boy who has been missing for seven years. With no leads whatsoever, he brings in a local psychic Tennyson ‘Ten’ Grimm (30) to assist on the case, even though he doesn't believe in the supernatural. But he can't deny the truth when Ten proves the truth again and again. While trying to solve the case, the two men grow closer as they can't deny the attraction between them.
Overall, the story had some potential. However the timeline was fucked up and didn't match with the writing. Apparently the timeline is for over 2 months, yet the way think were written, it felt like a week or two. So because of this, it gave me a major insta-love feels. You understand what I mean if you read it. The writing also meant we've missed a big part of the then bonding time between the two characters. Because what we got was barely a week of them hanging out, so how did that become 2 months...... Not sure if I want to continue the series, but I have nothing else to read :/
Other Characters:
→ Anthony ‘Tony’ ‘Tone’ Francis Abruzzi, was Ronan's homicide detective partner and is his best friend. His wife, Carlotta ‘Carlie’ Abruzzi.
→ Josh Gatlin, a homicide detective and Ronan's ex-husband.
→ Carson Craig, owner of the West Side Magick storefront and a fellow psychic and a friend of Tennyson (he works there too). Truman, his husband. Carson and Truman are about to get their triplets, conceived via in-vitro fertilization, were due at the end of February.
→ Cole Craig, brother of Carson, owner of the West Side Magick storefront and a fellow psychic and a friend of Tennyson. Tennyson had been mentoring both of the Craig brothers after their mothers death and both received psychic powers, and all three worked in the West Side Magick shop. Cole’s wife, Cassie, who owns a bakery next door to the shop. Their daughter, Laurel (1 month old). Cassie, is also Truman’s best friend and business partner.
→ Captain Kevin Fitzgibbon, Ronan's boss.
→ Michael Frye (5), the boy who went missing 7 years ago.
“You still want to work with me even though I’m an asshole?” Ronan had to be sure Tennyson was still totally on board.
“We’re partners, right?” Tennyson grinned. “And I’m well aware of your asshole tendencies.”
“Boyfriends too?” Ronan asked hopefully. Now wasn’t really the time or place to bring this up, but what he needed right now was something to look forward to once the fucker who really killed Michael was caught and locked up.
“Don’t push your luck, Detective.” Tennyson waggled his eyebrows. “We’ve only had sex once. I need a second test drive to kick your tires again to make sure I don’t end up with buyer’s remorse.”
Ronan burst out laughing. One thing was for sure. Tennyson was going to give him a run for his money.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - None.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Not really.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Not really.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2 stars.
June 6, 2019
very predictable with mediocre writing in which somebody seemed to either roar or bellow every 4 pages. something that also really annoyed me was the black-and-white morality of it all; the antagonist was made as repugnant and evil as possible (and of course he has Voices in his head).
there was also this exceedingly irritating part where Ten said criminals and prostitutes have an inherently darkened soul so they always look for the people with light in their souls. okurrrrr.
there was also this exceedingly irritating part where Ten said criminals and prostitutes have an inherently darkened soul so they always look for the people with light in their souls. okurrrrr.
August 1, 2024
I don't know if I've been more disappointed in an MM paranormal mystery than I have been for this book.
I don't often do updates on my progress while reading a book, it is usually too distracting and often not needed, but every single page I found something to take issue with. If it wasn't the plot, it was the characterization, or it was the grammar, or it was the insta-love, or it was the terrible mystery, or it was the lack of realism, or it was the 50+ references to real life. Check my statuses in my review because I laid into this book.
Full disclosure, I am a huge atheist. I think religion is dumb and I think that anyone who follows a religion when they have been given reasons to question it, like gay people, are even dumber. Both Ronan and Tennyson and literally every other character in the book kept referencing Christianity and Catholicism and the context often didn't fit. All the prayers that were made or the religious figures referenced were out of place.
Arguably, psychics don't only come from Christian backgrounds, especially when Tennyson works in a shop showcasing non-Christian spiritual effects. Yet it felt like everything Tennyson and the other psychics did fell under a Christian umbrella. Carson prayed and Tennyson prayed and Ronan prayed. They said their sermons and chants. Typical Christian set-up where nothing is explained or given proper context. So that was frustrating.
Nothing about how this police department worked made any sense. From the very beginning it is super unbelievable that there is any problem with Ronan shooting and killing a suspect that literally already shot him. I care deeply about police abuse and excessive police shootings, but we cannot pretend that there is any doubt that Ronan did the right thing. He was shot and the person who shot him was running straight towards him. Why would the family, the family who the suspect had been held at gunpoint by, ever think a lawsuit against Ronan made sense?
Why was there a need for IA (internal affairs) to investigate Ronan? His drinking (which never makes any appearances in the actual story) had nothing to do with the shooting. Why were two homicide detectives allowed to marry, work together, divorce, and still work together? Why was one of them not transferred? How did this department afford to send Ronan away to rehab? Why did they send him to cold cases? Why did they make this one case so important to solve or he would lose his badge? Cold cases usually don't get solved. Why did this police department not have fucking cameras in the station?
Tennyson's psychic abilities are the fakest abilities I have ever read about. Other than the fact we as the reader know his powers are real, they are super fake. The more you read about them, the more you compare them to "real" fake psychics and compare the fakeness. His abilities are poorly showcased and it is way too easy to convince others that he is real. It's usually as simple as "your mother told me this, your father told me that..." and it's something no one else would know. Why would the author use all the tropes of a fake psychic for their real psychic? It reads badly.
The mystery is no mystery. I'll spoil it now. The first person the reader comes across that is a living and negatively portrayed character, it is them. The first one. Yeah, it'll be weird and out of place, and that is how this character is. It seems like poor writing, and honestly it is.
The insta-love is so ridiculous that I skipped most of it. They kissed 10% of the way into the book. There is barely any positive chemistry between the characters and they just start making out. Then they are dating and having kinky sex.
Why was this thing even a reality TV show? All the legalities of following an ongoing investigation. Everything about this concept, minus one star.
Lastly, all the fucking times real actors or characters or TV shows were referenced. I got Kit Harrington from Game of Thrones, Jon Snow, Benington Cucumber from Sherlock Holmes, Long Island Medium, the other fake medium who does Hollywood stars, Avengers, Law and Order & SVU, Matt Damon, some other Hollywood actor, Will & Grace. I hated it. Every time. It shows the shallowness of the writing. The writer cannot write solidly enough on their own without having to use other media to connect with the reader. Except, when the reader doesn't know those references, or isn't that familiar with them (say a non-Christian and all those Christian references), then the read is bluntly awkward.
I'm sorry to author for this scathing review. It's really biased, but I was so excited to see a new psychic detective type series. I love the genre and I always want to read more of it, but this is one of the worst executions of it I've seen yet.
I don't often do updates on my progress while reading a book, it is usually too distracting and often not needed, but every single page I found something to take issue with. If it wasn't the plot, it was the characterization, or it was the grammar, or it was the insta-love, or it was the terrible mystery, or it was the lack of realism, or it was the 50+ references to real life. Check my statuses in my review because I laid into this book.
Full disclosure, I am a huge atheist. I think religion is dumb and I think that anyone who follows a religion when they have been given reasons to question it, like gay people, are even dumber. Both Ronan and Tennyson and literally every other character in the book kept referencing Christianity and Catholicism and the context often didn't fit. All the prayers that were made or the religious figures referenced were out of place.
Arguably, psychics don't only come from Christian backgrounds, especially when Tennyson works in a shop showcasing non-Christian spiritual effects. Yet it felt like everything Tennyson and the other psychics did fell under a Christian umbrella. Carson prayed and Tennyson prayed and Ronan prayed. They said their sermons and chants. Typical Christian set-up where nothing is explained or given proper context. So that was frustrating.
Nothing about how this police department worked made any sense. From the very beginning it is super unbelievable that there is any problem with Ronan shooting and killing a suspect that literally already shot him. I care deeply about police abuse and excessive police shootings, but we cannot pretend that there is any doubt that Ronan did the right thing. He was shot and the person who shot him was running straight towards him. Why would the family, the family who the suspect had been held at gunpoint by, ever think a lawsuit against Ronan made sense?
Why was there a need for IA (internal affairs) to investigate Ronan? His drinking (which never makes any appearances in the actual story) had nothing to do with the shooting. Why were two homicide detectives allowed to marry, work together, divorce, and still work together? Why was one of them not transferred? How did this department afford to send Ronan away to rehab? Why did they send him to cold cases? Why did they make this one case so important to solve or he would lose his badge? Cold cases usually don't get solved. Why did this police department not have fucking cameras in the station?
Tennyson's psychic abilities are the fakest abilities I have ever read about. Other than the fact we as the reader know his powers are real, they are super fake. The more you read about them, the more you compare them to "real" fake psychics and compare the fakeness. His abilities are poorly showcased and it is way too easy to convince others that he is real. It's usually as simple as "your mother told me this, your father told me that..." and it's something no one else would know. Why would the author use all the tropes of a fake psychic for their real psychic? It reads badly.
The mystery is no mystery. I'll spoil it now. The first person the reader comes across that is a living and negatively portrayed character, it is them. The first one. Yeah, it'll be weird and out of place, and that is how this character is. It seems like poor writing, and honestly it is.
The insta-love is so ridiculous that I skipped most of it. They kissed 10% of the way into the book. There is barely any positive chemistry between the characters and they just start making out. Then they are dating and having kinky sex.
Why was this thing even a reality TV show? All the legalities of following an ongoing investigation. Everything about this concept, minus one star.
Lastly, all the fucking times real actors or characters or TV shows were referenced. I got Kit Harrington from Game of Thrones, Jon Snow, Benington Cucumber from Sherlock Holmes, Long Island Medium, the other fake medium who does Hollywood stars, Avengers, Law and Order & SVU, Matt Damon, some other Hollywood actor, Will & Grace. I hated it. Every time. It shows the shallowness of the writing. The writer cannot write solidly enough on their own without having to use other media to connect with the reader. Except, when the reader doesn't know those references, or isn't that familiar with them (say a non-Christian and all those Christian references), then the read is bluntly awkward.
I'm sorry to author for this scathing review. It's really biased, but I was so excited to see a new psychic detective type series. I love the genre and I always want to read more of it, but this is one of the worst executions of it I've seen yet.
January 31, 2021
It wasn't bad exactly, it just never hit that sweet spot. Nothing felt right. The ingredients were good, but the execution was sloppy.
I liked the idea of a cop working with a psychic to solve a cold case, but the case was a 5 year old boy who was raped and murdered. Not exactly what I want to read about in a romance novel. I don't know why, but I found that a little bit of a mood-spoiler. Especially since the psychic talks to the little boy's ghost.
The other problem was the bad guy. I just have a hard time believing that nobody figured out this was a bad guy. And he was too bad. Like a caricature.
Maybe if they solve a different case in the next book it would be okay. I might try it. But, probably not.
I liked the idea of a cop working with a psychic to solve a cold case, but the case was a 5 year old boy who was raped and murdered. Not exactly what I want to read about in a romance novel. I don't know why, but I found that a little bit of a mood-spoiler. Especially since the psychic talks to the little boy's ghost.
The other problem was the bad guy. I just have a hard time believing that nobody figured out this was a bad guy. And he was too bad. Like a caricature.
Maybe if they solve a different case in the next book it would be okay. I might try it. But, probably not.
November 14, 2018
This did not work for me at all. While I like the set-up in theory (there are some excellent cop/psychic books around - Jordan Castillo Price, I'm tipping my hat in your general direction), the execution here was beyond wooden. Info dumps, lots of telling, no variety in tone or pace - this is not what's needed in a (nominally) fast-moving thriller. Michaelle's review is on the nose about the procedural short-comings, too.
Add to that one-dimensional characterisation (real spoiler ahead): And, to cap it all, no humour, snark or wit.
I had the rest of the series waiting to be read, but I have deleted them, unread.
Add to that one-dimensional characterisation (real spoiler ahead): And, to cap it all, no humour, snark or wit.
I had the rest of the series waiting to be read, but I have deleted them, unread.
November 14, 2018
3.5 Stars
I really liked the beginning, the set-up for the whole series, introducing the reader to the characters and whatnot. (I probably should have read the pre-quel because there were a LOT of side characters to go with that "whatnot.") I was even willing to let go the sort of whiplashy angsty distrustful animosity between Ten & Ronan which morphed quickly to a lust & insta-love scenario, even though there was a distinct lack of emotional-type feelz (whether it was between the ex & Ronan, Ronan & Ten or in regards to Ronan's battle with alcoholism) because sometimes the plot can make up for that, especially if the case details are good...
But ugh.
See, I love procedurals. Not just the dramatized ones like L&O (mentioned here ad nauseum, too!) but also Forensic Files and Investigation ID...and I've even read a few papers & texts on criminalistics. (I had delusions of writing a book someday. HA!) And a few things here just didn't work. There were entirely too many leaps of logic & assumptions made in regards to the (kinda sloppy) casework. I did some digging (pun not intended) and answered my own update question about the decomposition of a body wrapped in an "intact" plastic garbage bag...and . Also: *gag* I do NOT recommend doing a Google search for that because even the scholarly results were enough to put me off dinner. And dessert. And probably breakfast tomorrow.
Plus, that "dramatic" scene at the end? Um...yeah. I didn't finish law school & even I could have made a defensive case that . Without other proof he would have had to confess after being Mirandized, with non-partial witnesses, for that case to stick. Just sayin'.
So yeah, the case details didn't make up for the lack of emotional connection.
I did kind of hate the Reality Show aspect of the plot, too. Hope that doesn't carry over to the next book because JFC in spite of my complaints I did sort of like the book. Well, enough to give another installment a chance...
Even if Vic has spoiled me completely for mediums and detectives that talk to ghosts. (All books with that plot will always be compared to him, and probably be found wanting.)
I really liked the beginning, the set-up for the whole series, introducing the reader to the characters and whatnot. (I probably should have read the pre-quel because there were a LOT of side characters to go with that "whatnot.") I was even willing to let go the sort of whiplashy angsty distrustful animosity between Ten & Ronan which morphed quickly to a lust & insta-love scenario, even though there was a distinct lack of emotional-type feelz (whether it was between the ex & Ronan, Ronan & Ten or in regards to Ronan's battle with alcoholism) because sometimes the plot can make up for that, especially if the case details are good...
But ugh.
See, I love procedurals. Not just the dramatized ones like L&O (mentioned here ad nauseum, too!) but also Forensic Files and Investigation ID...and I've even read a few papers & texts on criminalistics. (I had delusions of writing a book someday. HA!) And a few things here just didn't work. There were entirely too many leaps of logic & assumptions made in regards to the (kinda sloppy) casework. I did some digging (pun not intended) and answered my own update question about the decomposition of a body wrapped in an "intact" plastic garbage bag...and . Also: *gag* I do NOT recommend doing a Google search for that because even the scholarly results were enough to put me off dinner. And dessert. And probably breakfast tomorrow.
Plus, that "dramatic" scene at the end? Um...yeah. I didn't finish law school & even I could have made a defensive case that . Without other proof he would have had to confess after being Mirandized, with non-partial witnesses, for that case to stick. Just sayin'.
So yeah, the case details didn't make up for the lack of emotional connection.
I did kind of hate the Reality Show aspect of the plot, too. Hope that doesn't carry over to the next book because JFC in spite of my complaints I did sort of like the book. Well, enough to give another installment a chance...
Even if Vic has spoiled me completely for mediums and detectives that talk to ghosts. (All books with that plot will always be compared to him, and probably be found wanting.)
Read
September 28, 2018I'm not going to finish this. No matter how hard I try.
I usually really like stories like these but I couldn't get my mind around a couple of things and seeing as I read for my pleasure I'm going to just move on and leave this to other people who might enjoyed it more than I do.
The ex is totally to much. The psychics... well I'm not an expert but there were some eyebrow lifting ridiculous moments there for me as well. The football thing and the "I know he kissed you but that's that thing" ... yeah.
So moving on.
I usually really like stories like these but I couldn't get my mind around a couple of things and seeing as I read for my pleasure I'm going to just move on and leave this to other people who might enjoyed it more than I do.
The ex is totally to much. The psychics... well I'm not an expert but there were some eyebrow lifting ridiculous moments there for me as well. The football thing and the "I know he kissed you but that's that thing" ... yeah.
So moving on.
June 15, 2021
Enjoyable enough I suppose, but the bad guy was as see-through as cellophane, the relationship was too quick and didn't make sense with as hostile as Ronan was. I enjoyed the dual POV, but I'll admit I'm not sure if this is the right series for me. I'm very fond of the cop/psychic romantic suspense trope so I might give book 2 a chance someday and see if Ronan manages to pull his head out of his ass and recognize Tennyson is his perfect partner solving cases and in life.
September 2, 2019
This is a fine read and a good beginning of the nice series. Not my favorite story ever but still and enjoyable read.
There are several reasons why I didn't like this book as much as some others I've read, but I'm ready to admit that none is serious. First of all, it's about the main characters. Although they are easy to like, they don't stand out from hundreds of others. If I don't start reading the next book in this series soon (which I have in my plans, though maybe not the closest ones), I will probably forget them completely in about two weeks. There is nothing special about them. Well, maybe except for some strange inconsistency in Ronan's personality. His fits of fury were so bizarre and unfit for his otherwise peaceful nature. They bothered me.
There is also nothing special about the crime story. It is very predictable. Every more sophisticated reader will quickly discover who our villain is. I can't imagine that it could be any more obvious even if the author would state it in the prologue. Seriously, no surprise in this field. I am also a bit disappointed with the connection between the criminal part and the paranormal one. This could be more expended.
Then again, the story is fine. It is simply not surprising or unique to someone who has already read several books of this type. Despite this, I am adding the other books from this series to my never-ending TBR pile.
There are several reasons why I didn't like this book as much as some others I've read, but I'm ready to admit that none is serious. First of all, it's about the main characters. Although they are easy to like, they don't stand out from hundreds of others. If I don't start reading the next book in this series soon (which I have in my plans, though maybe not the closest ones), I will probably forget them completely in about two weeks. There is nothing special about them. Well, maybe except for some strange inconsistency in Ronan's personality. His fits of fury were so bizarre and unfit for his otherwise peaceful nature. They bothered me.
There is also nothing special about the crime story. It is very predictable. Every more sophisticated reader will quickly discover who our villain is. I can't imagine that it could be any more obvious even if the author would state it in the prologue. Seriously, no surprise in this field. I am also a bit disappointed with the connection between the criminal part and the paranormal one. This could be more expended.
Then again, the story is fine. It is simply not surprising or unique to someone who has already read several books of this type. Despite this, I am adding the other books from this series to my never-ending TBR pile.
April 7, 2018
4.5 Stars
This was almost perfect, I loved Tennyson and his abilities were so well written. I'm such a believer in the sixth sense so when it's well written or portrayed it makes for the best stories. Ronan was another of my favorite kind of character, his flaws made him a better person.
I will be moving directly on to the next installment of this series.
This was almost perfect, I loved Tennyson and his abilities were so well written. I'm such a believer in the sixth sense so when it's well written or portrayed it makes for the best stories. Ronan was another of my favorite kind of character, his flaws made him a better person.
I will be moving directly on to the next installment of this series.
July 22, 2022
It didn't work for me at all for a variety of reasons, the main being:
→ The writing - it felt clunky. Too much repetition. The constant mentions of the CSI TV show. Too many characters with similar sounding names right at the beginning, and they all started with a C or a T. Sentences that could have been written in half the words. THE REPETITION.
→ The plot - it feels like it tried to be too many things at once. There's the mystery part, and there's the reality TV show part. The purpose of the reality TV part of the plot seemed to be only to put the two MCs in the same place and make them work together. Otherwise it seemed like it served no purpose and was mentioned only when the MCs had to be aware they're talking to the public, and not even that always.
→ The MCs - Tennyson's talent was loosely defined as "psychic" in the blurb, which I took it meant his set of skills will be explained in the book at some point. But, it turns out he's whatever he needs to be to further the plot. He's a medium (as in he sees and can talk to spirits), but he can also read your mind and emotions and physical objects if it's convenient. AND he can also NOT do those things if it's convenient. Basically he's God when and if the plot could use one in lieu of an actual plot device. And it's not even acknowledged that being able to perceive so much all the time would probably make him go bonkers way before he managed to meet the other MC Ronan. Speaking of, I'm not going to go too deep into Ronan, I'll say only that his reactions rarely made sense to me, with outbursts of rage that went OTT.
→ The romance - Insta-love and I couldn't feel the connection at all. We are told near the end that they've been working he case for two months, but from the writing it seemed like it was two weeks at best.
→ The mystery - the whole thing was just one big WTF moment to me. It was obvious who the culprit was around the 35% mark, and everything else after that seemed like a clumsy way to inflate the page numbers, with out of character and TSTL moments and anything to delay the inevitable reveal. And the reveal? I can't even talk about it. Ugh! Also, a lot of stuff just didn't make sense, but ⚣Michaelle⚣ explained it better than I ever could.
In all this was a great miss, and I don't think I'll ever try this writer again. I was going to give this 2 stars, but I think even that much is not appropriate to describe my lack of enjoyment of the book.
→ The writing - it felt clunky. Too much repetition. The constant mentions of the CSI TV show. Too many characters with similar sounding names right at the beginning, and they all started with a C or a T. Sentences that could have been written in half the words. THE REPETITION.
→ The plot - it feels like it tried to be too many things at once. There's the mystery part, and there's the reality TV show part. The purpose of the reality TV part of the plot seemed to be only to put the two MCs in the same place and make them work together. Otherwise it seemed like it served no purpose and was mentioned only when the MCs had to be aware they're talking to the public, and not even that always.
→ The MCs - Tennyson's talent was loosely defined as "psychic" in the blurb, which I took it meant his set of skills will be explained in the book at some point. But, it turns out he's whatever he needs to be to further the plot. He's a medium (as in he sees and can talk to spirits), but he can also read your mind and emotions and physical objects if it's convenient. AND he can also NOT do those things if it's convenient. Basically he's God when and if the plot could use one in lieu of an actual plot device. And it's not even acknowledged that being able to perceive so much all the time would probably make him go bonkers way before he managed to meet the other MC Ronan. Speaking of, I'm not going to go too deep into Ronan, I'll say only that his reactions rarely made sense to me, with outbursts of rage that went OTT.
→ The romance - Insta-love and I couldn't feel the connection at all. We are told near the end that they've been working he case for two months, but from the writing it seemed like it was two weeks at best.
→ The mystery - the whole thing was just one big WTF moment to me. It was obvious who the culprit was around the 35% mark, and everything else after that seemed like a clumsy way to inflate the page numbers, with out of character and TSTL moments and anything to delay the inevitable reveal. And the reveal? I can't even talk about it. Ugh! Also, a lot of stuff just didn't make sense, but ⚣Michaelle⚣ explained it better than I ever could.
In all this was a great miss, and I don't think I'll ever try this writer again. I was going to give this 2 stars, but I think even that much is not appropriate to describe my lack of enjoyment of the book.
July 18, 2020
Since the below updates I have TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY changed my mind on these books ... So I very rarely get a book some other trial, my instinct told me – in my instinct is always always always 100% right and spot on — that I would absolutely adore these books in the series, so I must give it another shot! Now and haven’t gotten to know these men in the haunted soul series I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’m going to absolutely adore these books and these men and the entire series! So I am completely and totally committed I now own/have purchased the entire series (because I KNOW - 100% - that I will ABSOLUTELY ADORE this parallel series to the Haunted Souls), I am all in, I am totally invested, here we go!! P.S. I feel like having read the haunted souls series, (which again, is wonderful and INCREDIBLE by the way), it gives me very important and significant insight into Ronin (I have truly benefited from reading that series 1st), and I just adore Ronan and Tennyson (just like I do Copeland and Jude)!! This author is fantastic at writing friendships that you really really really want to be a part of here, the fabulous group of friends who are essentially also chosen family in these two series are just spectacular and they are just so so wonderful (this includes incorporeal members ... IF you know who I’m referring to ... they’re absolutelywonderful too) 😊!!
- I will make note that since I already touched on this during my first try, I am going to go into this wholeheartedly and within a different mindset and I am completely dismissing the niggles I had with the typos and all the grammatical issues, because we’ve touched on that and I’m going into this with a different mindset! Since that has already been acknowledged, in feeling ultra magnanimous (😋), I intend on completely dismissing and ignoring that this time around for the benefit of the book as a whole! I am definitely willing to dismiss those niggles and am willing to give the benefit of the doubt and forgive those little hiccups in face of the grand scheme of things, and for the greater purpose of fully embracing this new journey 😬!!
*****************************
Might give this another try :-)!!! I anticipate a different opinion and a different experience :-)!! I do adore Ronan and Tennyson [I ADOOOORE them in Haunted Souls] :-)!!!
See updates and comments as well - On that note, I’ll be pasting them into this review page this weekend!!
*************
First read initial rating ... 2 stars :-/!! [June 05th, 2019]
Is English this author’s mother tongue and does she know it well? Otherwise or even regardless (in this case), a second, third, or even fourth pair of eyes is paramount!! Because the degree of really bad grammar, typos, and botched phraseology is pretty astounding o__O!!
I do get that - as an author - you probably want to pound out as many books as possible (trust me, as a reader, I am NOT complaining), but I also believe that - as the saying goes - quality is more important than quantity (or in this case, speed)!!
Take your time to edit and proofread your work, trust me, your characters, your books, AND your readers will be all the more happier because of it!!
I mean, isn't having a PHENOMENAL [I mean this in a VERY general sense, I am NOT saying THIS book is phenomenal AT ALL] book with super-spot-on editing worth more than having a bunch of books out that are in desperate need of a thorough edit/proofread/spell check?!!? These books deserve it, they deserve MORE, and it's a shame this author is not giving it to them!!
On that note, though I am not done with this book yet, I had to skim a bit to find an example I wanted to use and I found it: "He could care shit less" <<-- NO, I am not kidding!! What on earth is that supposed to mean?!!? I know what you're TRYING to mean but #FAILED!!
First: If you want to use this specific verbiage but also want to be grammatically correct, then it would be - 'He couldn't give less of a shit'!!
Second: If you want to word it differently and also want it to be grammatically correct, then it isn't 'could care less' it is 'COULDN'T CARE LESS', otherwise don't bother using a phrase we all know and love (to use), because it doesn't make sense!!
That being said, the correct way would be - 'He couldn't give less of a shit' or 'He couldn't care less'!!
Get it? Good!! *Sighs and shakes head*!!
Commentary to be continued ...
- I will make note that since I already touched on this during my first try, I am going to go into this wholeheartedly and within a different mindset and I am completely dismissing the niggles I had with the typos and all the grammatical issues, because we’ve touched on that and I’m going into this with a different mindset! Since that has already been acknowledged, in feeling ultra magnanimous (😋), I intend on completely dismissing and ignoring that this time around for the benefit of the book as a whole! I am definitely willing to dismiss those niggles and am willing to give the benefit of the doubt and forgive those little hiccups in face of the grand scheme of things, and for the greater purpose of fully embracing this new journey 😬!!
*****************************
Might give this another try :-)!!! I anticipate a different opinion and a different experience :-)!! I do adore Ronan and Tennyson [I ADOOOORE them in Haunted Souls] :-)!!!
See updates and comments as well - On that note, I’ll be pasting them into this review page this weekend!!
*************
First read initial rating ... 2 stars :-/!! [June 05th, 2019]
Is English this author’s mother tongue and does she know it well? Otherwise or even regardless (in this case), a second, third, or even fourth pair of eyes is paramount!! Because the degree of really bad grammar, typos, and botched phraseology is pretty astounding o__O!!
I do get that - as an author - you probably want to pound out as many books as possible (trust me, as a reader, I am NOT complaining), but I also believe that - as the saying goes - quality is more important than quantity (or in this case, speed)!!
Take your time to edit and proofread your work, trust me, your characters, your books, AND your readers will be all the more happier because of it!!
I mean, isn't having a PHENOMENAL [I mean this in a VERY general sense, I am NOT saying THIS book is phenomenal AT ALL] book with super-spot-on editing worth more than having a bunch of books out that are in desperate need of a thorough edit/proofread/spell check?!!? These books deserve it, they deserve MORE, and it's a shame this author is not giving it to them!!
On that note, though I am not done with this book yet, I had to skim a bit to find an example I wanted to use and I found it: "He could care shit less" <<-- NO, I am not kidding!! What on earth is that supposed to mean?!!? I know what you're TRYING to mean but #FAILED!!
First: If you want to use this specific verbiage but also want to be grammatically correct, then it would be - 'He couldn't give less of a shit'!!
Second: If you want to word it differently and also want it to be grammatically correct, then it isn't 'could care less' it is 'COULDN'T CARE LESS', otherwise don't bother using a phrase we all know and love (to use), because it doesn't make sense!!
That being said, the correct way would be - 'He couldn't give less of a shit' or 'He couldn't care less'!!
Get it? Good!! *Sighs and shakes head*!!
Commentary to be continued ...
December 26, 2018
....3.5 Stars.....
Listening to Michael Pauley narrate this book added so much to a story with mediocre writing and dialogue. His narration made me round up to a 4 star rating. Good job, Pauley!
What I didn’t enjoy:
I guessed the perp from the get go and that always makes a story lose its spark for me. I wanted more UST from our cold case detective and psychic. And I felt that Detective Ronan’s quick angry outbursts were often out of place. Tennyson, the psychic was as accommodating and understanding as could be. This is a nice trait in a partner, but I felt he was a bit too compliant.
What I liked:
The bones of the story were good. The sex was hot (especially as acted out by Pauley). The climax rocked. And Michael Pauley was stellar as a narrator. I read a little of this and had to switch back to listening due to the ho-hum-ness of the writing.
Will I continue with this series? Maybe, but I’m not dying to do so.
Listening to Michael Pauley narrate this book added so much to a story with mediocre writing and dialogue. His narration made me round up to a 4 star rating. Good job, Pauley!
What I didn’t enjoy:
I guessed the perp from the get go and that always makes a story lose its spark for me. I wanted more UST from our cold case detective and psychic. And I felt that Detective Ronan’s quick angry outbursts were often out of place. Tennyson, the psychic was as accommodating and understanding as could be. This is a nice trait in a partner, but I felt he was a bit too compliant.
What I liked:
The bones of the story were good. The sex was hot (especially as acted out by Pauley). The climax rocked. And Michael Pauley was stellar as a narrator. I read a little of this and had to switch back to listening due to the ho-hum-ness of the writing.
Will I continue with this series? Maybe, but I’m not dying to do so.
May 11, 2018
3.5 STARS
I liked the premise and the characters, but the executive was lacking. I knew who the killer was pretty early on, and was severely disappointed when the psychic and seasoned homicide detective took so long to figure it out. It kept my interest long enough to try book 2. We will see.
I liked the premise and the characters, but the executive was lacking. I knew who the killer was pretty early on, and was severely disappointed when the psychic and seasoned homicide detective took so long to figure it out. It kept my interest long enough to try book 2. We will see.
did-not-finish
January 29, 2019I'm trying really hard to DNF books I'm not enjoying now instead of pushing my way through them. There are only so many hours in a person's life, I currently have access to a good library with a good selection of books, and my to-be-read shelf is enormous. Spending my limited time on books that I know I'm not liking isn't a reasonable use of the limited time I have to read.
So I'm DNFing this book. I wanted to like it, thought I would like it, was invested in liking it, but really didn't like it. I put it down for a while with the hopes that my interest would pick back up, but it didn't. What I read of it probably deserves like 2 stars (and I'm making note of this in case I decided to come back later and rate it), but for right now I'm not rating it because I didn't finish it and I currently feel weird about rating books that I didn't finish unless there is some extenuating circumstance that makes me feel inclined to put a rating on it.
So I'm DNFing this book. I wanted to like it, thought I would like it, was invested in liking it, but really didn't like it. I put it down for a while with the hopes that my interest would pick back up, but it didn't. What I read of it probably deserves like 2 stars (and I'm making note of this in case I decided to come back later and rate it), but for right now I'm not rating it because I didn't finish it and I currently feel weird about rating books that I didn't finish unless there is some extenuating circumstance that makes me feel inclined to put a rating on it.
August 30, 2018
Audiobook reviewI've said it before, but I'll say it again - there's something about psychic detective stories that calls to me, and this one is not an exception. I was a bit on the fence for a while, but in the end I realised I just couldn't pass it up - and I'm glad I didn't.
Detective Ronan O'Mara has had a tough year. His husband filed for divorce, he got demoted to work on cold cases after shooting a suspect. Not so much for the shooting, but for his drinking habits when he's off work. After some mandatory leave to get his head back on straight he's handed the case file of a missing boy. A boy that's been missing for seven years. Ronan is determined to find out what happened to young Michael, so when he spots a news show about a psychic helping the police to find another young boy, he hopes he might be able to do it again.
Tennyson Grimm is psychic and has been since he was a little boy and he's devoted his life to help the dead, and the living, find peace. So when Ronan approaches him about a cold case he is more than a little intrigued. After some negotiations, the two, along with a camera crew filming the entire process for a reality show, starts to look into what happened to the 5 year old boy.
I didn't go into this book expecting a mystery masterpiece of any kind. I wanted to be entertained. And that's exactly what I got. There are a lot of things that are unbelievable and not quite right, but read / listen to this book for what it is - entertainment - and you'll enjoy it much more than if you expect any kind of correlation of how things works (or don't work) IRL. For me, the identity of the killer was obvious very early on in the book and I kind of wished it was a bit less obvious. The mystery in general was a good one - but a truly horrible one. Other than that this book gave me exactly what I was looking for. It kept me entertained from start to finish.
Ronan and Tennyson's relationship starts out a bit on the rocky side, with Ronan being sceptical of Tennyson's powers, to say the least. He's not really nice about it either. On the other hand, he's also willing to give the man a try if it could help him solve what happened to Michael. Then, a bit out of nowhere, there is insta-lust and all the mistrust and feelings other than lust and love vanishes like they never were there in the first place. Insta-love is not my favourite trope, but I also recognise it is present in a lot of the books I pick up.
Michael Pauley is one of my go to narrators. I enjoy listening to his voice and I like that he has different voices for the different characters. It's always easy to follow along the story, knowing who's speaking. He also adds emotions to his narration, which is a huge gold star from me, it adds another dimension to the book, brings it to life in a way. Sure, some of the female voices didn't always sound quite right, but hey - no one is perfect and it sure didn't keep me from enjoying this book.
Dead Speak was a really good start to a promising series and I'm looking forward to solve more cases with these two guys.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
October 31, 2022
While I knew who the bad guy was from the first time they appeared on page I found this book quite entertaining. A 19(!!!) book series seems pretty darn intimidating but here's for moving forward... lol.
December 10, 2018
Tried to read this on my Kindle but couldn't get past all the proofreading errors. Switched to audio so I wouldn't lose my mind.
Eh, I may continue with the series at some point in the future.
March 21, 2022
3 stars
Pretty good for a start of a series, it didn't really end on a happy for now relationship wise, but case wise it ended with a happy...or as happy as that outcome could have been, the case was solved.
the flow of the story was a little weird at times, but overall it was an easy read and i enjoyed it.
I think i will continue to the next book, psychics and cops are my crack haha i don't know why.
fingers crossed that the next one is better than book one!
Pretty good for a start of a series, it didn't really end on a happy for now relationship wise, but case wise it ended with a happy...or as happy as that outcome could have been, the case was solved.
the flow of the story was a little weird at times, but overall it was an easy read and i enjoyed it.
I think i will continue to the next book, psychics and cops are my crack haha i don't know why.
fingers crossed that the next one is better than book one!
Read
July 16, 2018DNF@65%
I got to this point, made a bunch of notes and felt hella annoyed at all the things that didn't make sense or were blatant mistakes. I set it down for a minute and now I find it's been around 6 weeks and I still haven't picked it back up. I have no desire to. (I also lost my little list of things that bothered me and I'm way too lazy to try to recreate that.) The premise is good but the execution not so much. It really needed a good editor or at the very least a good beta reader.
I got to this point, made a bunch of notes and felt hella annoyed at all the things that didn't make sense or were blatant mistakes. I set it down for a minute and now I find it's been around 6 weeks and I still haven't picked it back up. I have no desire to. (I also lost my little list of things that bothered me and I'm way too lazy to try to recreate that.) The premise is good but the execution not so much. It really needed a good editor or at the very least a good beta reader.
December 21, 2018
There are other reviews here that nicely sum up the shortcomings of this book, but here are my thoughts, in a nutshell.
The romance - such as it is - is completely based on insta-lust. We're told the story takes place over a couple of months, but there's no sense of this, or of time passing, so it just feels as though these two jumped into bed and got serious after a few hours.
The villain was straight out of Bad-Guys-R-Us - seriously, all he needed was a cape to swirl and a moustache to twirl and to utter "I'd have got away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you pesky kids!"
Ronan's ex. I hate books in which one of the main characters' ex is shown to be a nasty piece of work, because it makes me question that person's judgement. This guy - Josh - was a complete and utter arsehole. Yet Ronan MARRIED HIM. Why??
The idea of a dead body being preserved in a bin bag for seven years is ridiculous. They're plastic - they heat up and no way would there have been any viable remains.
I'm no expert on police procedures on either side of the Pond, but even I could spot aspects of it here that are distinctly wonky.
Finally - I've listened to and enjoyed some of Michael Pauley's narrations in the past but here he was full-on Movie-Trailer-Announcer-Guy and it was really grating (and often, really funny, usually where it wasn't meant to be.)
I don't often return books to Audible... but yep, this one's going back.
The romance - such as it is - is completely based on insta-lust. We're told the story takes place over a couple of months, but there's no sense of this, or of time passing, so it just feels as though these two jumped into bed and got serious after a few hours.
The villain was straight out of Bad-Guys-R-Us - seriously, all he needed was a cape to swirl and a moustache to twirl and to utter "I'd have got away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you pesky kids!"
Ronan's ex. I hate books in which one of the main characters' ex is shown to be a nasty piece of work, because it makes me question that person's judgement. This guy - Josh - was a complete and utter arsehole. Yet Ronan MARRIED HIM. Why??
The idea of a dead body being preserved in a bin bag for seven years is ridiculous. They're plastic - they heat up and no way would there have been any viable remains.
I'm no expert on police procedures on either side of the Pond, but even I could spot aspects of it here that are distinctly wonky.
Finally - I've listened to and enjoyed some of Michael Pauley's narrations in the past but here he was full-on Movie-Trailer-Announcer-Guy and it was really grating (and often, really funny, usually where it wasn't meant to be.)
I don't often return books to Audible... but yep, this one's going back.
August 23, 2018
OMG... the final confrontation scene almost gave me a heart attack... cudos to the author for that... it took a while to get my heart rate back to normal! So I LOVED this book... Ms. Pine knows how to create a incredibly suspenseful story and complex fascinating characters to fill it. I loved Ronin and Tenn, they are so perfect for one another. I am also loving the whole "psychic" angle and the humor that is sometimes generated by it. Leave it to a ghost to say what they think, cuz what are ya gonna do about it! This read was fun, emotional at times (yeah there were tears), sexy and totally addicting.
June 20, 2025
Folks have been recommending Pandora Pine's Cold Case Psychic to me for ages, and I'm glad I finally gave it a shot. I enjoyed Dead Speak - I do like psychic mysteries, and Pine does a nice job with this one. It was heartbreaking though, the cold case aspect. I will be continuing with this series.
The audio version of the Cold Case Psychic novels are nicely performed by Michael Pauley.
The audio version of the Cold Case Psychic novels are nicely performed by Michael Pauley.
August 7, 2018
I guess my Kindle went ahead and marked this as read. Not cool Kindle, not cool. I swear I turned this feature off. Anyway, I guess now I don't have a choice but review even though I didn't feel prepared.
Ok. I liked this book. A lot of it was over the top or cheesy or just not my thing but I still ended up being into it and very excited that it is a series.
I think mostly it was the actual talking. When they actually talked to each other the humor seemed a little forced or something.
Liked it anyway and will probably devour the rest of the series this week. Maybe. Unless I finally read Ravensong. I don't know.
Ok. I liked this book. A lot of it was over the top or cheesy or just not my thing but I still ended up being into it and very excited that it is a series.
I think mostly it was the actual talking. When they actually talked to each other the humor seemed a little forced or something.
Liked it anyway and will probably devour the rest of the series this week. Maybe. Unless I finally read Ravensong. I don't know.
April 26, 2020
I love this book and series so much. I started this book two days ago and I'm about to read book six. I'm hooked and have zero regrets. I love how real the guys are. Ten is such a snarky brat sometimes and quick to get irked even though he's the sweet one. And the grumpy cop is secretly a teddy bear. Yep, this is my new favorite series.
March 12, 2020
this was very difficult book for me. while i enjoyed the concept of the book — the whole detective and psychic concept along with the IDEA of the cold case part. i did not enjoy the pace of the relationship. it went from 0 to 100 way too fast. there was basically no communication between the mcs...during the dual pov it was just “he’s enemy” and then a day later “he’s my boyfriend” and two seconds later “he’s the love of my life.” i can’t...i need to actually SEE and FEEL the progression...
and then it was finding out what happened to the FIVE year old boy and i was so disgusted i had to force myself to finish it. i could not stomach hearing about a five year old raped. /:
so, yeah this isn’t my type of book and while i think the author writes so well i don’t think ill be continuing with this series.
2.5 stars for the parts i did like
and then it was finding out what happened to the FIVE year old boy and i was so disgusted i had to force myself to finish it. i could not stomach hearing about a five year old raped. /:
so, yeah this isn’t my type of book and while i think the author writes so well i don’t think ill be continuing with this series.
2.5 stars for the parts i did like
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2018
This book was awful! The writing made no sense. I love psychics in stories so this should have worked for me but the writing made no sense. First it was mentioned that Ronan was an alcoholic and after a fatal shooting while he was obviously intoxicated though it was in self defense he had to do rehab or be fired. In Florida!!! Ronan was a police detective in Boston, MA but he was sent to Florida! I don't think so, that makes no sense and definitely not in a police budget. Ronan began drinking because of his depression from his marriage breaking up but except for the story saying he was an alcoholic and having alcohol in his system when the shooting happen nothing in the story or Ronan's behavior indicated he had a drinking problem, no cravings, nothing. I really don't think he did, he just needed to be aware of where he was headed.
Next, Tenn's friends, nice yes but extremely annoying because what grown men talk like that? These guys acted like college freshman, I'm not gay so I cant' say they don't talk like gay men but I did read a review from a gay man and he said gay men did not talk like that and he was a tad offended by no research on real gay men. Anyhoo, we were told Josh was a jackass, Tenn got horrible energy from him everyone wondered what Ronan ever saw in him but we never got any flashback to see how they interacted with one another in their relationship prior to marriage or during. We never even got the reason why Josh left Ronan since he said he was the love of his life and I actually believe it considering what he did thinking what he did would make him have a life he could dedicate to Ronan. We were told what he said to Ronan on that subject but not the real reason. Next, there was no mystery at all to the story, we know right away who the killer is and if someone read this and didn't know then you're obviously and oblivious reader. The book only gave one person to suspect and yep it was him but not only was there no mystery there was no real detecting it was Tenn saw this and it was or Tenn heard that and it was. Next, by the end of the book Josh said it had been two months since Tenn had been around but honestly the book read like it had been maybe two weeks max. There was nothing given to let us know time was going by and definitely not two months. I couldn't figure out why Ronan called Tenn his boyfriend because it seemed they had just met then we saw no relationship development. I get inta love so that's what I thought it was until I read two months had passed. Now for my last but biggest not like in this book. Ronan!!! Ronan was an asshole of infinite proportions, he yelled, grabbed, pulled or yanked then yelled some more at Tenn. He was such an ass that Michael didn't want to talk because of him. He couldn't keep his mouth shut for nothing. The camera crew is taping and he still couldn't keep his mouth shut, they have a clue and he couldn't keep his mouth shut, they are trying to clear Tony on the sly and just because he's scared for Ronan he tells the entire squad. No, just no there is no way he was even a half good detective and he can't keep his mouth shut for shit. The relationship dynamic to me for Ronan and Tenn was not good and made no sense. Why would Tenn like him? I mean really would you like someone that talked and treated you in that manner? No, it's abusive behavior and in real life we are told to steer clear of people with those behaviors but in books it's supposed to be attractive. I don't think so.
What I liked! Not much but I did like Tenn, he was sweet but even sweet people can say shut the fuck up to rude people some time and he didn't but I still liked him. I liked Tony and his wife. Great couple. And that is all I liked about this horrible book. Oh I listened to the audio version and the narrator was Awesome.
Next, Tenn's friends, nice yes but extremely annoying because what grown men talk like that? These guys acted like college freshman, I'm not gay so I cant' say they don't talk like gay men but I did read a review from a gay man and he said gay men did not talk like that and he was a tad offended by no research on real gay men. Anyhoo, we were told Josh was a jackass, Tenn got horrible energy from him everyone wondered what Ronan ever saw in him but we never got any flashback to see how they interacted with one another in their relationship prior to marriage or during. We never even got the reason why Josh left Ronan since he said he was the love of his life and I actually believe it considering what he did thinking what he did would make him have a life he could dedicate to Ronan. We were told what he said to Ronan on that subject but not the real reason. Next, there was no mystery at all to the story, we know right away who the killer is and if someone read this and didn't know then you're obviously and oblivious reader. The book only gave one person to suspect and yep it was him but not only was there no mystery there was no real detecting it was Tenn saw this and it was or Tenn heard that and it was. Next, by the end of the book Josh said it had been two months since Tenn had been around but honestly the book read like it had been maybe two weeks max. There was nothing given to let us know time was going by and definitely not two months. I couldn't figure out why Ronan called Tenn his boyfriend because it seemed they had just met then we saw no relationship development. I get inta love so that's what I thought it was until I read two months had passed. Now for my last but biggest not like in this book. Ronan!!! Ronan was an asshole of infinite proportions, he yelled, grabbed, pulled or yanked then yelled some more at Tenn. He was such an ass that Michael didn't want to talk because of him. He couldn't keep his mouth shut for nothing. The camera crew is taping and he still couldn't keep his mouth shut, they have a clue and he couldn't keep his mouth shut, they are trying to clear Tony on the sly and just because he's scared for Ronan he tells the entire squad. No, just no there is no way he was even a half good detective and he can't keep his mouth shut for shit. The relationship dynamic to me for Ronan and Tenn was not good and made no sense. Why would Tenn like him? I mean really would you like someone that talked and treated you in that manner? No, it's abusive behavior and in real life we are told to steer clear of people with those behaviors but in books it's supposed to be attractive. I don't think so.
What I liked! Not much but I did like Tenn, he was sweet but even sweet people can say shut the fuck up to rude people some time and he didn't but I still liked him. I liked Tony and his wife. Great couple. And that is all I liked about this horrible book. Oh I listened to the audio version and the narrator was Awesome.
January 5, 2019
4 stars
Wow, 2019 is off to a good start for me. Lots of solid reads. This one definitely held my interest and I couldn’t put it down! It was fascinating seeing Ten work his psychic magic. As in, Pandora Pine wrote the psychic stuff so well that I could actually believe in it, page after page. So kudos to her!
I liked Ten but I’m oscillating between irritation and feeling neutral about Ronan. Sure, it made him more real with his temper tantrums and his impatience. But I’m just wondering if detectives in real life live up to that stereotype because it seems authors love writing detectives with cranky personality traits and the need for over the top temper tantrums. Hmm....
But i digress, I enjoyed this and it definitely kept me on my toes. Although the unmasked murderer definitely made my skin crawl. I’m almost tempted to say it was a bit OTT but I know there truly are such vile humans out there. Sigh....
Wow, 2019 is off to a good start for me. Lots of solid reads. This one definitely held my interest and I couldn’t put it down! It was fascinating seeing Ten work his psychic magic. As in, Pandora Pine wrote the psychic stuff so well that I could actually believe in it, page after page. So kudos to her!
I liked Ten but I’m oscillating between irritation and feeling neutral about Ronan. Sure, it made him more real with his temper tantrums and his impatience. But I’m just wondering if detectives in real life live up to that stereotype because it seems authors love writing detectives with cranky personality traits and the need for over the top temper tantrums. Hmm....
But i digress, I enjoyed this and it definitely kept me on my toes. Although the unmasked murderer definitely made my skin crawl. I’m almost tempted to say it was a bit OTT but I know there truly are such vile humans out there. Sigh....
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