What do you think?
Rate this book
Eleanor Wilde Mystery #1
Séances Are for Suckers
When something goes bump in the night . . . it’s most likely a plumbing problem. But fake medium Eleanor Wilde is happy to investigate and cleanse your home of spectral presences—for a fee. Hey, it’s a living . . .
Ellie has an ailing sister to care for and working as a ghost hunter who doesn’t believe in ghosts helps cover the bills. When she’s lucky, it also pays for the occasional tropical vacation. On her latest job, though, she may be in for some genuine scares.
The skeptical, reserved, and very rich Nicholas Hartford III has flown her all the way to his family’s ancestral estate in England—supposedly haunted by a phantom named Xavier. Nicholas thinks it’s all just as much a crock as Ellie’s business is, but his mother is sure that Xavier is real, and he’s willing to employ Ellie if she can put a stop to the nonsense. But when an actual dead body appears—and subsequently disappears—at Castle Hartford, she’ll have to apply her talent for trickery and psychological insight to solve a flesh-and-blood murder.
Ellie has an ailing sister to care for and working as a ghost hunter who doesn’t believe in ghosts helps cover the bills. When she’s lucky, it also pays for the occasional tropical vacation. On her latest job, though, she may be in for some genuine scares.
The skeptical, reserved, and very rich Nicholas Hartford III has flown her all the way to his family’s ancestral estate in England—supposedly haunted by a phantom named Xavier. Nicholas thinks it’s all just as much a crock as Ellie’s business is, but his mother is sure that Xavier is real, and he’s willing to employ Ellie if she can put a stop to the nonsense. But when an actual dead body appears—and subsequently disappears—at Castle Hartford, she’ll have to apply her talent for trickery and psychological insight to solve a flesh-and-blood murder.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 30, 2018
132 people are currently reading
2239 people want to read
About the author
Tamara Berry
9 books500 followersTamara Berry is an Edgar Award winning author of cozy mysteries. She has a B.A. degree in English Literature from Eastern Washington University. In addition to books, she has mad love for all things TV, movies, and pop culture.
She also writes romances under the pennames Lucy Gilmore and Tamara Morgan.
She also writes romances under the pennames Lucy Gilmore and Tamara Morgan.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
Read
March 8, 2023A murder mystery starring a fake psychic solving fake hauntings to unearth real crimes seemed exactly what I needed. It's a brilliant idea and the writing is fluent and assured with some good jokes, so I was poised to enjoy this.
Sadly, I was foiled by a few issues. It's partly the setting in a 'Sussex' that conflates Poldarkshire, Midsomer, and America. (We don't have a 'school board' here, nor do random people come round with plates of food for obscure social reasons at times of death, nor do we have non-locking doors, etc etc ad nauseam.) This narked me, and I can't see why it couldn't have been set in the US, tbh.
And it's partly the plot, which hinges on both an authorial misunderstanding of primogeniture and an apparent belief that .
I'm going to guess this may be a genre thing (like, you don't need a plausible setting or plot for a cosy mystery and everyone goes along with that?? IDK, not my genre) and if you don't care about those things there's much to enjoy, but for me this didn't live up to the promise of its wonderful concept. Non Brits may not care.
Sadly, I was foiled by a few issues. It's partly the setting in a 'Sussex' that conflates Poldarkshire, Midsomer, and America. (We don't have a 'school board' here, nor do random people come round with plates of food for obscure social reasons at times of death, nor do we have non-locking doors, etc etc ad nauseam.) This narked me, and I can't see why it couldn't have been set in the US, tbh.
And it's partly the plot, which hinges on both an authorial misunderstanding of primogeniture and an apparent belief that .
I'm going to guess this may be a genre thing (like, you don't need a plausible setting or plot for a cosy mystery and everyone goes along with that?? IDK, not my genre) and if you don't care about those things there's much to enjoy, but for me this didn't live up to the promise of its wonderful concept. Non Brits may not care.
October 29, 2018
Séances are for Suckers by Tamara Berry is the first book in the new paranormal cozy Eleanor Wilde Mystery series. Eleanor Wilde or Ellie as she likes to be called is a fake medium, well fake as in she let's her customers continue in their belief of a ghost when she's moving rats out of the attic that actually went bump in the night..
After an accident ten years ago in which Ellie survived but lost her mother that night and her sister was left in a coma Ellie has had to do whatever she can to pay the medical bills. She doesn't think of herself as a con artist or fake when she is preforming the service she's been hired to do but it's a thin line she's walking nonetheless.
Just as Ellie is about to head on vacation after her latest cleansing she's approached by Nicholas Hartford III who is in need of Ellie's skills. Now Nicholas seems to know Ellie is a fake and just doesn't care, he's willing to try anything to rid his family's home of Xavier the ghost that his mother insists is perfectly real.
Séances are for Suckers was one of those cozies that I just found an absolutely fun read all around. I was liking Ellie by only a couple of pages into the story and her whole fake medium act but color me surprised when we actually do get a bit of paranormal added in too. But the setting and secondary characters all had an appeal on top of thinking Ellie was a fun lead then pile on a unique mystery with disappearing corpses I didn't want this one to end. Definitely recommend checking this one out to the fans of a more quirky cozy.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
After an accident ten years ago in which Ellie survived but lost her mother that night and her sister was left in a coma Ellie has had to do whatever she can to pay the medical bills. She doesn't think of herself as a con artist or fake when she is preforming the service she's been hired to do but it's a thin line she's walking nonetheless.
Just as Ellie is about to head on vacation after her latest cleansing she's approached by Nicholas Hartford III who is in need of Ellie's skills. Now Nicholas seems to know Ellie is a fake and just doesn't care, he's willing to try anything to rid his family's home of Xavier the ghost that his mother insists is perfectly real.
Séances are for Suckers was one of those cozies that I just found an absolutely fun read all around. I was liking Ellie by only a couple of pages into the story and her whole fake medium act but color me surprised when we actually do get a bit of paranormal added in too. But the setting and secondary characters all had an appeal on top of thinking Ellie was a fun lead then pile on a unique mystery with disappearing corpses I didn't want this one to end. Definitely recommend checking this one out to the fans of a more quirky cozy.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
January 1, 2019
Eleanor (Ellie) Wilde doesn't believe in the paranormal, but that doesn't stop her from making a living as a medium. She doesn't consider herself a fake, because she really can solve pesky ghost problems. The ghosts, however, are typically rats in the attic or rattling pipes — but her clients don't need to know that.
Ellie is flown to England to the ancestral manor home of Nicholas Hartford III. His mother is convinced they're being haunted by a spirit called Xavier, and Nicholas wants Ellie to put Xavier to rest. Before that happens though, Ellie stumbles across a dead body. Now she's charged with solving the mystery of Xavier and that of the stranger's corpse that disappeared in the blink of an eye.
I enjoyed this first book in the Eleanor Wilde Mystery series. Ellie was a great character — witty, astute, clever, and likable — even if she is a bit of a con-artist. There's a touching side story with Ellie and her ailing sister, and you can see how much she cares about her family. SÉANCES ARE FOR SUCKERS is a charming cozy mystery mixed with romance and a touch of "real" paranormal, which I'm excited to see what happens next with that!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ellie is flown to England to the ancestral manor home of Nicholas Hartford III. His mother is convinced they're being haunted by a spirit called Xavier, and Nicholas wants Ellie to put Xavier to rest. Before that happens though, Ellie stumbles across a dead body. Now she's charged with solving the mystery of Xavier and that of the stranger's corpse that disappeared in the blink of an eye.
I enjoyed this first book in the Eleanor Wilde Mystery series. Ellie was a great character — witty, astute, clever, and likable — even if she is a bit of a con-artist. There's a touching side story with Ellie and her ailing sister, and you can see how much she cares about her family. SÉANCES ARE FOR SUCKERS is a charming cozy mystery mixed with romance and a touch of "real" paranormal, which I'm excited to see what happens next with that!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2018
This book was one of the best cozy mysteries I have ever read. The writing was fantastic. The mystery was well plotted and had me guessing until the end. It had a great cast of secondary characters. I wasn't sure at the start I was going to like Ellie. She is, after all, a con-artist that prays on people's fears for her own financial gain. And I am still not 100% onboard with that, but perhaps the author will take her in a different direction (hopefully) after the events of this book. With that being said, I still found myself liking her character.
The other element that I surprisingly liked was the budding romance between Ellie and Nick. I am usually not a fan of romance in my cozy mysteries, but the author made it work quite well here. I am interested to see where she plans to go with that in future books.
So yea, this turned out to be a delightful read. Bring on book two!
September 12, 2018
Seances Are for Suckers by Tamara Berry; what a delightful read. Take a psychic who doesn’t believe in psychic phenomenon and hire her to rid an English castle of the non-existing ghost who’s haunting it. Of course she knows it’s a scam, as does the insanely rich man who has hired her for the job, but what do they care? The job will allow her to earn enough money to pay exorbitant medical bills for her comatose sister. All she needs to do is find out who’s behind the occurances while she continues to convince her brother he shouldn’t worry about her.
Do the siblings seem close? Maybe it’s because they’re triplets, although each one is so different from the other as to only connect in that way that is often described as belonging to twins, triplets, etc. While not a major part of the book in terms of interactions between the three, their relationships are essential to the book and their individual personalities add to the richness of the characters.
So, off to England to place a lot of high-end spy equipment and find out who is “haunting” the castle. Madame Eleanor, the psychic, isn’t an ordinary charlatan, though. She takes the job seriously. When she is hired to rid any dwelling of an unwanted spirit she understands the truth is that there is a physical world issue that is causing the unexplained activities within the house and she takes on the task of ridding the structure of whatever is causing the problem be it a person playing pranks, rats in the attic, or anything in between.
Early on in the book the reader begins to wonder just what kind of book is it? Is it a paranormal adventure? Is it a murder mystery? Is it a romance novel? All these questions and more keep the reader guessing as to what to expect next because the book doesn’t follow any apparent traditional pattern. Sure, when you get to the end it all hangs together beautifully, but the questions make the getting there even that much more enjoyable.
To give many details would spoil some of the exploration, so I will refrain from doing so in this review. I will recommend you get the book, free some time on your schedule, and sit down ready to enjoy a story that includes some fascinating people (and spirits), interesting places, and unexpected activities. There are surprises galore, encompassing the characters in the book, the locations and the clues. Are there red herrings? Yes, but even they may not be exactly what the reader is lead to believe they are.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend this one, and look forward to more from Ms. Berry.
Do the siblings seem close? Maybe it’s because they’re triplets, although each one is so different from the other as to only connect in that way that is often described as belonging to twins, triplets, etc. While not a major part of the book in terms of interactions between the three, their relationships are essential to the book and their individual personalities add to the richness of the characters.
So, off to England to place a lot of high-end spy equipment and find out who is “haunting” the castle. Madame Eleanor, the psychic, isn’t an ordinary charlatan, though. She takes the job seriously. When she is hired to rid any dwelling of an unwanted spirit she understands the truth is that there is a physical world issue that is causing the unexplained activities within the house and she takes on the task of ridding the structure of whatever is causing the problem be it a person playing pranks, rats in the attic, or anything in between.
Early on in the book the reader begins to wonder just what kind of book is it? Is it a paranormal adventure? Is it a murder mystery? Is it a romance novel? All these questions and more keep the reader guessing as to what to expect next because the book doesn’t follow any apparent traditional pattern. Sure, when you get to the end it all hangs together beautifully, but the questions make the getting there even that much more enjoyable.
To give many details would spoil some of the exploration, so I will refrain from doing so in this review. I will recommend you get the book, free some time on your schedule, and sit down ready to enjoy a story that includes some fascinating people (and spirits), interesting places, and unexpected activities. There are surprises galore, encompassing the characters in the book, the locations and the clues. Are there red herrings? Yes, but even they may not be exactly what the reader is lead to believe they are.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend this one, and look forward to more from Ms. Berry.
November 3, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
In this 1st book of this series, we meet Eleanor Wilde, a self-proclaimed fake medium. She is a ghost hunter that doesn’t believe in ghosts. Eleanor is turning peoples fears into profits to help pay the bills for her sister in a long-term care facility. Her current job takes her to a musty old castle in England. Nicholas Hartford III doesn’t believe in ghosts either but he is hoping Ellie can convince his mother that her ghost, Xavier has left the building. Ellie is up for the job but the rest of the Hartford, staff, family and their guest takes crazy to a whole new level. She is surprised by her accommodations and the food served is horrible, but she needs the money and she is not a quitter. Even after she stumbles upon a real dead body she doesn’t give up. In fact, solving a real murder could be quite interesting . . . if she lives to tell about it.
I really enjoyed the twist of a ghost hunter that knows she is a fake even though her customers may not. I also enjoyed the way this character evolved throughout the story. We learn why she has this job. People will pay exorbitant amounts of money to have “ghosts” removed from their lives and she has a very good reason for needing the money. A strong woman with fantastic observation skills that has not had an easy life, but still has a great sense of humor. She also has a connection, a secret, something I truly appreciated.
Enter Nicholas Hartford III who has his own motives for employing Ellis’s services. This character made me feel a gambit of emotions as the story continued. His mother was a very interesting character and at times made me laugh out loud. The rest of the supporting characters are all cleverly created and help to take this mystery through many twists and turns.
The castle is a fun setting for the book. The staircases, hidden spaces, long hallways, rooms, and gardens all have a truly creepy feel.
The story unfolds at a perfect pace and like our protagonist has many layers. The story was much more than I expected and was full of surprises. Especially the very end. So much happens within the pages and I found myself slowing down to savor the story to be sure I did not miss a single thing. At points the word that popped into my head was mayhem. I learned quickly to really expect the unexpected. This time a cat plays a crucial role. A cat we didn’t even meet until we were well into this story.
I was surprised by how much I came to care about Ellie and her sister Winnie. Her brother played a part too, but I was very attuned to the sisters.
If you love mysteries cozy or traditional this is a fun read you really need to pick up today. It is really different from the usual cozies I read.
I am very excited about this series and where the author will take Ellie next after the way the book concluded. Potions Are for Pushovers will be released next December. I hate having to wait that long but if this story was any indication it will be well worth the wait.
In this 1st book of this series, we meet Eleanor Wilde, a self-proclaimed fake medium. She is a ghost hunter that doesn’t believe in ghosts. Eleanor is turning peoples fears into profits to help pay the bills for her sister in a long-term care facility. Her current job takes her to a musty old castle in England. Nicholas Hartford III doesn’t believe in ghosts either but he is hoping Ellie can convince his mother that her ghost, Xavier has left the building. Ellie is up for the job but the rest of the Hartford, staff, family and their guest takes crazy to a whole new level. She is surprised by her accommodations and the food served is horrible, but she needs the money and she is not a quitter. Even after she stumbles upon a real dead body she doesn’t give up. In fact, solving a real murder could be quite interesting . . . if she lives to tell about it.
I really enjoyed the twist of a ghost hunter that knows she is a fake even though her customers may not. I also enjoyed the way this character evolved throughout the story. We learn why she has this job. People will pay exorbitant amounts of money to have “ghosts” removed from their lives and she has a very good reason for needing the money. A strong woman with fantastic observation skills that has not had an easy life, but still has a great sense of humor. She also has a connection, a secret, something I truly appreciated.
Enter Nicholas Hartford III who has his own motives for employing Ellis’s services. This character made me feel a gambit of emotions as the story continued. His mother was a very interesting character and at times made me laugh out loud. The rest of the supporting characters are all cleverly created and help to take this mystery through many twists and turns.
The castle is a fun setting for the book. The staircases, hidden spaces, long hallways, rooms, and gardens all have a truly creepy feel.
The story unfolds at a perfect pace and like our protagonist has many layers. The story was much more than I expected and was full of surprises. Especially the very end. So much happens within the pages and I found myself slowing down to savor the story to be sure I did not miss a single thing. At points the word that popped into my head was mayhem. I learned quickly to really expect the unexpected. This time a cat plays a crucial role. A cat we didn’t even meet until we were well into this story.
I was surprised by how much I came to care about Ellie and her sister Winnie. Her brother played a part too, but I was very attuned to the sisters.
If you love mysteries cozy or traditional this is a fun read you really need to pick up today. It is really different from the usual cozies I read.
I am very excited about this series and where the author will take Ellie next after the way the book concluded. Potions Are for Pushovers will be released next December. I hate having to wait that long but if this story was any indication it will be well worth the wait.
September 29, 2018
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC
Ellie Wilde is a ghosthunter who doesn't believe in ghosts. However, she does believe she can help her clients get peace of mind from whatever it is that's haunting them. Faking the tricks of the trade, she's made quite a name for herself. Then one day when visiting her twin sister in a care facility, she's whisked away by this stranger, Nicholas, to join him at Castle Hartford in England, supposedly to help his family get rid of their ghost. Ellie agrees, while not believing a thing about there being a ghost. But from the moment she arrives this beast is on a rampage, causing havoc in the castle, almost taking our ghosthunter down.
Ellie's a really good investigator though and pretty soon all family members are suspects. The mystery turns into murder, adding another exciting level to the story. The writing is fluent, taking the reader deep into the secrets of the Hartford family.
I laughed out loud at Ellies hilarious train of thought. I enjoyed the telepathic contact she has with her twin sister back in The States. I loved the banter with her brother. The book tells of family bonds, the good and bad, the joy and sadness. It ends with an unexpected twist.
'Séances are for suckers' is a fun read, filled with quirky characters and one very clever cat. I'm looking forward to more Ellie Wilde adventures.
Ellie Wilde is a ghosthunter who doesn't believe in ghosts. However, she does believe she can help her clients get peace of mind from whatever it is that's haunting them. Faking the tricks of the trade, she's made quite a name for herself. Then one day when visiting her twin sister in a care facility, she's whisked away by this stranger, Nicholas, to join him at Castle Hartford in England, supposedly to help his family get rid of their ghost. Ellie agrees, while not believing a thing about there being a ghost. But from the moment she arrives this beast is on a rampage, causing havoc in the castle, almost taking our ghosthunter down.
Ellie's a really good investigator though and pretty soon all family members are suspects. The mystery turns into murder, adding another exciting level to the story. The writing is fluent, taking the reader deep into the secrets of the Hartford family.
I laughed out loud at Ellies hilarious train of thought. I enjoyed the telepathic contact she has with her twin sister back in The States. I loved the banter with her brother. The book tells of family bonds, the good and bad, the joy and sadness. It ends with an unexpected twist.
'Séances are for suckers' is a fun read, filled with quirky characters and one very clever cat. I'm looking forward to more Ellie Wilde adventures.
February 17, 2019
Seances are for Suckers was an ok cozy read for me. Eleanor Wilde chosen profession is as a medium who solves ghost problems for her clients. She doesn't believe in ghosts but can read people well by observation. The ghosts she discovers are rats in the attic or ghosts of the living human pranking variety. She keep this information to herself so her clients think she is authentic. Eleanor is paying for her sister's hospitalization in a home as her sister has been in a coma for quite awhile. Eleanor is part of triplets siblings.
She is hired by a man to come to a family historical home in England. He knows she is a fraud but wants her to convince his mother that the family ghost is now gone.
There were quite a few things I liked about the book. I liked the premise of a medium who uses her wits in her profession. I like the personality of the lead character Eleanor Wilde. There was humor. The family she went to live with were all different or quirky. The book was different from most reads.
So why, the three stars when there was so many likes? It was the pacing. It was slow for me. I even thought about stopping reading the book early on. I am glad I didn't as the ending was quite good. I don't think I will probably read the next book in the series.
She is hired by a man to come to a family historical home in England. He knows she is a fraud but wants her to convince his mother that the family ghost is now gone.
There were quite a few things I liked about the book. I liked the premise of a medium who uses her wits in her profession. I like the personality of the lead character Eleanor Wilde. There was humor. The family she went to live with were all different or quirky. The book was different from most reads.
So why, the three stars when there was so many likes? It was the pacing. It was slow for me. I even thought about stopping reading the book early on. I am glad I didn't as the ending was quite good. I don't think I will probably read the next book in the series.
September 6, 2018
This is one of the best cozies I have read! I had my doubts at first because initially the main character, Eleanor, came off as a bit unlikable for a cozy character. She is a psychic swindler with some harsh world views, but as the story progresses the author adds layers and complexities to Ellie. She quickly becomes quite relatable. She is devoted, intelligent and making the best out of the cards life has dealt her. Rarely are main characters painted with so many layers in a cozy mystery. The mystery unfolded seamlessly and the twists and turns kept coming. I looked forward to picking the book back up every time I was forced to set it down. Five stars.
November 16, 2018
4.5 stars rounded up. Tamara Berry is the queen of snarky humor, and now that I have read the first installment of the Eleanor Wilde series, I am primed and ready for those that follow it. Big thanks go to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the review copy; this book is for sale now.
Ellie narrates her own story in the first person. She explains that she makes her living through fraud, scamming those that want to talk to their dead relatives and solve their Earthly problems via séances. A referral brings her a wealthy Brit that wants a fake medium to vanquish the ghost his mother believes is haunting their mansion. Expenses paid, she flies out to join him and is delighted to find that he lives in an actual castle. His mother, however, hates houseguests and discourages them with miserably small, terrible meals and bad accommodations. As preparations are made for the séance, guests exchange furtively obtained and hoarded snacks in order to avoid starvation.
Nicholas is a hunk; he and Ellie are both drawn toward each other and repelled in classic fashion, and there’s a lot of crackling banter that keeps me snickering. Other well drawn characters include Nicholas’s mother, his sister and her teenage daughter, and a couple of other men, one of whom works for the family. When she comments to the reader, “Bless the sturdy and simple folk of this world,” I nearly fall off my chair. The narrative and dialogue are wonderfully paced and hugely amusing. The solution to the mystery is both partially obvious and wildly contrived, but since this is satire, that makes it even better. In fact, there’s more than one tired old saw that works its way into this story, but it’s with a side-eye wink every time, and I love it.
As the narrative unspools, a corpse is found and then lost, threats and warnings heighten the suspense, and we wonder along with Ellie which of these guests and family members are truly as they seem, and which might be a killer.
The scene leading into the séance is so hilarious that I nearly wake the mister with my cackling.
The only aspect I find unappealing here is the somewhat saccharine story having to do with Ellie’s dying sister. Ellie’s dishonest vocation is, she tells us, necessary so that she can pay for her catatonic sister’s nursing care, and while squeamish cozy readers may find it comforting, I am more than ready to dispatch sis to the great beyond and just let Ellie be Ellie anyway. Happily, this doesn’t hold the story back, particularly since most of the sister’s part of this tale is told at the start and is out of the way by the time we are rolling.
I can’t wait to see where life—and the wakeful dead—will take Ellie next. Highly recommended for mystery lovers ready to be entertained.
Ellie narrates her own story in the first person. She explains that she makes her living through fraud, scamming those that want to talk to their dead relatives and solve their Earthly problems via séances. A referral brings her a wealthy Brit that wants a fake medium to vanquish the ghost his mother believes is haunting their mansion. Expenses paid, she flies out to join him and is delighted to find that he lives in an actual castle. His mother, however, hates houseguests and discourages them with miserably small, terrible meals and bad accommodations. As preparations are made for the séance, guests exchange furtively obtained and hoarded snacks in order to avoid starvation.
Nicholas is a hunk; he and Ellie are both drawn toward each other and repelled in classic fashion, and there’s a lot of crackling banter that keeps me snickering. Other well drawn characters include Nicholas’s mother, his sister and her teenage daughter, and a couple of other men, one of whom works for the family. When she comments to the reader, “Bless the sturdy and simple folk of this world,” I nearly fall off my chair. The narrative and dialogue are wonderfully paced and hugely amusing. The solution to the mystery is both partially obvious and wildly contrived, but since this is satire, that makes it even better. In fact, there’s more than one tired old saw that works its way into this story, but it’s with a side-eye wink every time, and I love it.
As the narrative unspools, a corpse is found and then lost, threats and warnings heighten the suspense, and we wonder along with Ellie which of these guests and family members are truly as they seem, and which might be a killer.
The scene leading into the séance is so hilarious that I nearly wake the mister with my cackling.
The only aspect I find unappealing here is the somewhat saccharine story having to do with Ellie’s dying sister. Ellie’s dishonest vocation is, she tells us, necessary so that she can pay for her catatonic sister’s nursing care, and while squeamish cozy readers may find it comforting, I am more than ready to dispatch sis to the great beyond and just let Ellie be Ellie anyway. Happily, this doesn’t hold the story back, particularly since most of the sister’s part of this tale is told at the start and is out of the way by the time we are rolling.
I can’t wait to see where life—and the wakeful dead—will take Ellie next. Highly recommended for mystery lovers ready to be entertained.
October 20, 2019
Great !!!
September 17, 2018
This book was cute. Having a major paranormal twist to it was a plus for me. Eleanor Wilde works as a psychic so she can afford to pay for her sisters care. When she's asked to go to England to get rid of a ghost by a wealthy man she can't resist. Even though they both know she is a fake and things aren't always as they seem. But this case is a bit different and there is more to the story than at first glance. Ellie will have to put herself in a bit of danger to uncover what is really going on in this drafty estate.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
November 8, 2018
Madame Eleanor Wilde is a con artist, and like all the best con artists, she knows the best way to con someone is to show them exactly what they expect to see. She’s a very successful medium and ghost exorcist, and when she’s hired to go to England by an intriguing aristocrat who knows exactly what she is and wants to hire her to con his mother, she can’t quite resist the challenge.
Nothing is quite as it seems at the Hartford Estate, though. And when a real dead body turns up, Ellie starts to think maybe she’s in over her head.
This was such a fun read! Ellie’s cynicism and the way she read people made her so relatable and funny, and it was obvious she and Nicholas were striking sparks off each other right from the start. A cozy mystery with a healthy dollop of romantic comedy, I was giggling more than a few times while reading. There’s a fair bit of real emotion there too, because the reason why Ellie chooses to make a living conning people is to raise funds to keep her comatose sister Winnie in a comfortable care home. A triplet, Winnie and her brother Liam are the only people who really matter to Ellie, and her love for them and determination to do what’s right by those who need her most was genuinely heart-warming.
I absolutely loved this, and I really hope to read more Ellie Wilde books in the future. She’s a warm, funny, relatable heroine. I could wish for a bit more insight into Nicholas, her love interest, but since this is told in the first person from Ellie’s point of view, perhaps we’ll come to know him better in future books. Five stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
Nothing is quite as it seems at the Hartford Estate, though. And when a real dead body turns up, Ellie starts to think maybe she’s in over her head.
This was such a fun read! Ellie’s cynicism and the way she read people made her so relatable and funny, and it was obvious she and Nicholas were striking sparks off each other right from the start. A cozy mystery with a healthy dollop of romantic comedy, I was giggling more than a few times while reading. There’s a fair bit of real emotion there too, because the reason why Ellie chooses to make a living conning people is to raise funds to keep her comatose sister Winnie in a comfortable care home. A triplet, Winnie and her brother Liam are the only people who really matter to Ellie, and her love for them and determination to do what’s right by those who need her most was genuinely heart-warming.
I absolutely loved this, and I really hope to read more Ellie Wilde books in the future. She’s a warm, funny, relatable heroine. I could wish for a bit more insight into Nicholas, her love interest, but since this is told in the first person from Ellie’s point of view, perhaps we’ll come to know him better in future books. Five stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
October 28, 2022
Assez médiocre et painfully hétérosexuel.
July 14, 2022
For the past ten years, Eleanor Wilde has been a phony medium and, when necessary, con man to provide care for her sister, who is in a persistent coma. She's hired by Englishman Nick Hartford, who knows she's not legitimate, to chase the ghost--in which he doesn't believe any more than Eleanor does--from his family home, and convince his mother that the place is not haunted. Ironic, then, that Eleanor has her first experience with the real supernatural on the estate, where she feels strangely at home. Of course, that's before Eleanor falls down a flight of stairs and lands on a dead body, which disappears before anyone else can see it. When Nick helps her search for it, he finds another corpse, this one dead for several years. The police suspect Eleanor, who is still determined to find who is causing the problems (she suspects Nick), even after her life is threatened.
April 14, 2021
Really entertaining read, I enjoyed this book a lot. Eleanor is a fake medium professionally. I was a little put off by her profession until I learned the reason for her to do what she does. Her brother disapproves but is still supportive. She is hired by a rich man to go to England to solve a haunting issue occuring at his castle. But Eleanor doesn't believe in the supernatural. She is a logical person who knows that there is a logical explanation for anything "supernatural". She's a gutsy person, who is very wise and observant bcz she does most of her sleuthing by observing people. What ensues in the castle is a murder after which the body disappears. The mystery was very intriguing and I loved every minute of the book. There was a lot of personal things going on with Ellie and her sister, Winnie, which brings to forefront a revelation about Ellie. Definitely going to follow through with this series.
December 19, 2019
REVIEW IN ENGLISH:
I started reading "Séances are for Suckers" because I received the second book in this series from a publisher to read. So I had to read the first one so I wouldn't get lost in the story. When I started, I didn't know I would like it so much!
Eleanor Wilde (Ellie) has many responsibilities at hand. She has a hospitalized sister, in a vegetative state, and to have money to pay for her treatment, she works as a medium, ridding homes of unwanted ghosts. The problem is, Ellie doesn't believe in any of this and uses tricks to deceive her customers into getting what she wants.
One day Nicholas Hartford III hires Ellie to help him rid his family's ancestral estate in England of a ghost named Xavier. Nicholas doesn't believe in ghosts and knows that Ellie is a scam. He just wants to know who is behind it.
Arriving at the Hartford Castle and starting to investigate, Ellie realizes that things seem to be more complicated than she imagined. Whoever is behind the ghost Xavier seems to be willing to do anything to get what he wants, even kill.
This book was an extremely pleasant surprise. It's a delightful and cozy mystery to read. Ellie is an excellent character and all the characters are very well written. The reading flows. I will read the second book with pleasure and I hope there will be many more later. I recommend it!
****************************
RESENHA EM PORTUGUÊS:
Comecei a ler "Séances are for Suckers" (em tradução livre, "Séances são para otários") porque recebi o segundo livro dessa série de uma editora para ler. Então tinha que ler o primeiro para não ficar perdida na história. Quando comecei, não sabia que iria gostar tanto!
Eleanor Wilde (Ellie para os íntimos) tem muitas responsabilidades nas mãos. Ela tem uma irmã hospitalizada, em estado vegetativo, e para ter dinheiro para pagar seu tratamento, ela trabalha como médium, livrando casas de fantasmas indesejados. O problema é que Ellie não acredita em nada disso e usa de artifícios para enganar seus clientes e conseguir o que quer.
Um dia, Nicholas Hartford III contrata Ellie para ajudá-lo a livrar a propriedade ancestral de sua família, na Inglaterra, de um fantasma chamado Xavier. Nicholas não acredita em fantasmas e sabe que Ellie é uma farsa. Ele quer apenas saber quem está por trás disso.
Ao chegar no Castelo Hartford e começar a investigar, Ellie percebe que as coisas parecem ser mais complicadas do que ela imaginava. Quem está por trás do fantasma Xavier parece estar disposto a tudo para conseguir o que quer, até mesmo matar.
Esse livro foi uma surpresa extremamente agradável. É um mistério gostoso de ler, super aconchegante. Ellie é uma personagem excelente e todos os personagens são muito bem escritos. A leitura flui. Lerei o segundo com prazer e espero que tenham muitos outros depois. Recomendo.
I started reading "Séances are for Suckers" because I received the second book in this series from a publisher to read. So I had to read the first one so I wouldn't get lost in the story. When I started, I didn't know I would like it so much!
Eleanor Wilde (Ellie) has many responsibilities at hand. She has a hospitalized sister, in a vegetative state, and to have money to pay for her treatment, she works as a medium, ridding homes of unwanted ghosts. The problem is, Ellie doesn't believe in any of this and uses tricks to deceive her customers into getting what she wants.
One day Nicholas Hartford III hires Ellie to help him rid his family's ancestral estate in England of a ghost named Xavier. Nicholas doesn't believe in ghosts and knows that Ellie is a scam. He just wants to know who is behind it.
Arriving at the Hartford Castle and starting to investigate, Ellie realizes that things seem to be more complicated than she imagined. Whoever is behind the ghost Xavier seems to be willing to do anything to get what he wants, even kill.
This book was an extremely pleasant surprise. It's a delightful and cozy mystery to read. Ellie is an excellent character and all the characters are very well written. The reading flows. I will read the second book with pleasure and I hope there will be many more later. I recommend it!
****************************
RESENHA EM PORTUGUÊS:
Comecei a ler "Séances are for Suckers" (em tradução livre, "Séances são para otários") porque recebi o segundo livro dessa série de uma editora para ler. Então tinha que ler o primeiro para não ficar perdida na história. Quando comecei, não sabia que iria gostar tanto!
Eleanor Wilde (Ellie para os íntimos) tem muitas responsabilidades nas mãos. Ela tem uma irmã hospitalizada, em estado vegetativo, e para ter dinheiro para pagar seu tratamento, ela trabalha como médium, livrando casas de fantasmas indesejados. O problema é que Ellie não acredita em nada disso e usa de artifícios para enganar seus clientes e conseguir o que quer.
Um dia, Nicholas Hartford III contrata Ellie para ajudá-lo a livrar a propriedade ancestral de sua família, na Inglaterra, de um fantasma chamado Xavier. Nicholas não acredita em fantasmas e sabe que Ellie é uma farsa. Ele quer apenas saber quem está por trás disso.
Ao chegar no Castelo Hartford e começar a investigar, Ellie percebe que as coisas parecem ser mais complicadas do que ela imaginava. Quem está por trás do fantasma Xavier parece estar disposto a tudo para conseguir o que quer, até mesmo matar.
Esse livro foi uma surpresa extremamente agradável. É um mistério gostoso de ler, super aconchegante. Ellie é uma personagem excelente e todos os personagens são muito bem escritos. A leitura flui. Lerei o segundo com prazer e espero que tenham muitos outros depois. Recomendo.
November 28, 2018
Ellie is a professional Medium. She doesn't believe in ghosts, she just needs to make good enough money to care for her comatose sister. She has a bag of tricks and uses it to help people by providing relief when the ghost is exorcised.
Nicolas Hartford whisks her to his family Estate in England, knowing she is essentially a con artist, to try and find out who and how its haunting is occurring.
So with reservations, she goes and finds out that someone is indeed playing the tricks and after a stranger's body appears at the house, she realizes things are much more dangerous than she thought.
I enjoyed the story a lot, but I have to admit, I really do NOT like her job at all.
Nicolas Hartford whisks her to his family Estate in England, knowing she is essentially a con artist, to try and find out who and how its haunting is occurring.
So with reservations, she goes and finds out that someone is indeed playing the tricks and after a stranger's body appears at the house, she realizes things are much more dangerous than she thought.
I enjoyed the story a lot, but I have to admit, I really do NOT like her job at all.
September 12, 2018
This book had it all! I strong story line, great settings, super funny main character, and a plot line that is just different enough to stand out! I really did love everything about this story, it was different which was a nice breath of fresh air. I love that the main character was quirky in a way that wasn't annoying at all. I had a hard time putting it down, it was just that good. I hope to see a lot more in this series!
October 30, 2018
Seances are for Suckers by Tamara Berry is the first installment in A Eleanor Wilde Mystery series. Eleanor “Ellie” Wilde makes a living with her business Eleanor’s Cleansing Service. She cleanses houses of ghostly spirits or at least that is what she tells her clients. Ellie has learned that many things can cause the noises (from rats to noisy pipes), but to satisfy the client, she must put on a show. While Ellie’s brother, Liam does not approve of how she makes a living, it does pay for Happy Acres Sanctuary where their catatonic sister resides. After finishing her latest job, Ellie is ready to head off to two weeks in Mexico when she is approached by Nicholas Hartford III. Nicholas does not believe in ghosts, spirits or goblins, but his mother is convinced their ancestral estate is haunted by a mischievous spirit named Xavier. Nicholas wants Ellie to find out what or who is behind the various incidents, take care of the problem and then convince his mother that Xavier has moved on. Ellie arrives in England ready to tackle her new job, but she is unprepared for eccentric Hartford family, the worn dorm room furniture in her bedroom and the lackluster food served in small quantities. She begins her assignment by getting to know the Hartford clan, poking around the house and investigating the local museum. Xavier is proving to be a challenge which Ellie thrives on. Things get tricky when she stumbles upon a body in the kitchen which vanishes by the time Ellie returns with help. Ellie will need to pull out all the stops if she is to unveil the entity behind the illusive poltergeist.
Seances are for Suckers is a comedic tale. You will find yourself laughing your way through this spirited cozy mystery. Ellie was not one for academics. After an auto accident when she was eighteen which resulted in her mother’s death and putting her sister in catatonic state, Ellie needed to find a way to earn good money. Her flair for the dramatic plus her practical nature along with an eye for detail combined into Eleanor’s Cleansing Service. People seem to believe in a supernatural cause for their problems over a practical one. Ellie takes care of the problem (rats, bats, noisy pipes, and problematic house cats) and then puts on a show for the client to eliminate the vexing apparition. Ellie is a smart, plucky woman who loves her family and her job. Nicholas is handsome, intelligent, level headed and wise to Ellie’s ways of eliminating problems, but he admits that she comes highly recommended and always leaves a satisfied client. I especially enjoyed Nicholas’ droll wit. He has some great lines in the book. The author took the time to develop the characters. Rachel, Nicholas’ niece, is entertaining and provides a different perspective. She also gives Ellie with some needed intel and a sidekick along as food is provided (the mother’s cooking is abysmal). The story is told from Ellie’s point-of-view and her train of thought (practical insights) provide many laugh out loud moments. The mystery is complex and multi-faceted with red herrings, multiple suspects and unexpected twists. However, avid cozy mystery readers will have no problem solving this ghostly whodunit. This book has romance, quirky characters, a charming village, an ancestral estate, humor, spooky elements, and a puzzling mystery which have been combined into one entertaining cozy mystery. I am giving Seances are for Suckers 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to Ellie’s next phantasmal adventure.
Seances are for Suckers is a comedic tale. You will find yourself laughing your way through this spirited cozy mystery. Ellie was not one for academics. After an auto accident when she was eighteen which resulted in her mother’s death and putting her sister in catatonic state, Ellie needed to find a way to earn good money. Her flair for the dramatic plus her practical nature along with an eye for detail combined into Eleanor’s Cleansing Service. People seem to believe in a supernatural cause for their problems over a practical one. Ellie takes care of the problem (rats, bats, noisy pipes, and problematic house cats) and then puts on a show for the client to eliminate the vexing apparition. Ellie is a smart, plucky woman who loves her family and her job. Nicholas is handsome, intelligent, level headed and wise to Ellie’s ways of eliminating problems, but he admits that she comes highly recommended and always leaves a satisfied client. I especially enjoyed Nicholas’ droll wit. He has some great lines in the book. The author took the time to develop the characters. Rachel, Nicholas’ niece, is entertaining and provides a different perspective. She also gives Ellie with some needed intel and a sidekick along as food is provided (the mother’s cooking is abysmal). The story is told from Ellie’s point-of-view and her train of thought (practical insights) provide many laugh out loud moments. The mystery is complex and multi-faceted with red herrings, multiple suspects and unexpected twists. However, avid cozy mystery readers will have no problem solving this ghostly whodunit. This book has romance, quirky characters, a charming village, an ancestral estate, humor, spooky elements, and a puzzling mystery which have been combined into one entertaining cozy mystery. I am giving Seances are for Suckers 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to Ellie’s next phantasmal adventure.
September 21, 2018
Eleanor (Ellie) Wilde has an interesting profession. She rids houses of ghosts. She is a ghost hunter. Some call her a medium others like her brother Liam call her a fake. Ellie Wilde is a fake ghost hunter, Thus begins the book Seances Are for Suckers by Tamara Berry. Ellie, who is the breadwinner of their small family...only because her brother Liam decided to go into a real profession as a teacher... financially supports their other sister Winnie, (they are triplets), who has been in a catatonic state since a terrible accident years ago.
After her last exhausting exorcism Ellie is on her way to Mexico for some relaxation when she is hired by Nicholas Hartford a wealthy Englishman who flies her out to his ancestral estate in England to help his mother who believes there is a ghost (Xavier) whispering in her ear and wreaking havoc on the family,
Estate life is not all that it is cut out to be as we see at the Hartford Estate. The place is cold, dark and falling apart. The family pinch pennies and food is a necessity not a luxury. But the sherry does flow freely! And needless to say there are a cast of characters; Vivian, the aged mother who hears but does not see Xavier the ghost, Rachel the niece a teenager who is virtually a shut in, Fern the sister of Nicholas whose beauty is truly superficial, Cal, Fern's wealthy boyfriend and of course, Thomas the butler/handyman.
Things immediately begin to go bump in the night and mayhem ensues. All but Nicholas thinks she is a real ghost hunter. Ellie must use her "powers" to figure out just who is ghosting who and how. And just how many ghost could there possibly be?
Anyone who enjoyed the Ellie Haskell series by Dorothy Cannell will enjoy this heartfelt, very funny quirky story with some romance and craziness thrown in.
I hope this is the first in a series of Ellie Wilde books. The book will be out October 30. For more book reviews please visit my book blog at Lisascubby.com. Happy reading!
After her last exhausting exorcism Ellie is on her way to Mexico for some relaxation when she is hired by Nicholas Hartford a wealthy Englishman who flies her out to his ancestral estate in England to help his mother who believes there is a ghost (Xavier) whispering in her ear and wreaking havoc on the family,
Estate life is not all that it is cut out to be as we see at the Hartford Estate. The place is cold, dark and falling apart. The family pinch pennies and food is a necessity not a luxury. But the sherry does flow freely! And needless to say there are a cast of characters; Vivian, the aged mother who hears but does not see Xavier the ghost, Rachel the niece a teenager who is virtually a shut in, Fern the sister of Nicholas whose beauty is truly superficial, Cal, Fern's wealthy boyfriend and of course, Thomas the butler/handyman.
Things immediately begin to go bump in the night and mayhem ensues. All but Nicholas thinks she is a real ghost hunter. Ellie must use her "powers" to figure out just who is ghosting who and how. And just how many ghost could there possibly be?
Anyone who enjoyed the Ellie Haskell series by Dorothy Cannell will enjoy this heartfelt, very funny quirky story with some romance and craziness thrown in.
I hope this is the first in a series of Ellie Wilde books. The book will be out October 30. For more book reviews please visit my book blog at Lisascubby.com. Happy reading!
April 17, 2021
3.5 stars. This was a cute, funny read. The mystery kept me guessing right up until the end, and there were some interesting twists along the way. I wish more time could've been spent developing some of the characters a bit more, and the mystery did seem to wrap up quite abruptly at the end. But I really liked Eleanor as a main character - she was very serious and competent about her job, even while acknowledging that it was all smoke and mirrors. There is also a burgeoning romance, but it never takes over the mystery, and I'm intrigued to see where it goes in future books.
March 13, 2024
I loved this book! The mystery was good, well written for a cozy mystery, and I love the narrator for the audiobook (Sarah Zimmerman)
September 14, 2019
Loved this book! The characters were great, and I laughed a lot. Cant wait for book 2!
November 3, 2023
Enjoyable and fun paranormal mystery.
December 15, 2019
I loved this
January 1, 2023
I think this is going to be a fun series. Ellie is a con-artist of sorts, but only because she knows people want to believe in the paranormal. Solving a crime with mundane explanations is just boring so she gives them the exciting. It is fascinating how she approaches her artistry and I love the intrigue that the paranormal may indeed be a thing. Fun little mystery with a very interesting family Looking forward to more!
![Profile Image for Amanda [Novel Addiction].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1415744673i%2F4886503._UX200_CR0%2C36%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 28, 2019
Loved this! I think I'll be purchasing it for my library system, as I can see this having a solid audience.
Looking forward to more.
Looking forward to more.
September 19, 2018
Awesome book. Very different from the usual cozy mystery, but very intriguing. The ending was intense and constantly kept you guessing. Loved the characters, loved the connection to her other siblings. Really fun read! Can't wait to read more.
February 5, 2022
Once again I proved to myself that I don't like cozy mysteries. Not that it is a bad book. It isn't. But I didn't enjoy it.
The novel is about Ellie, a young American woman and a fake medium. She exorcises ghosts for a living. Of course, she doesn't believe in ghosts, but her clients do, and she gets rid of their ghosts - from dodgy plumbing to rats in the attic - employing her common sense and a healthy dose of flashy theatrics. I liked Ellie, liked her sense of humor and her compassion. She doesn't mock her clients: she helps them. She is a consummate actress too, an artist enjoying her craft, and I've always admired creative people.
Her current employer, Nicolas, knows she is a fake, a con woman. But he is a British aristocrat with a crumbling old castle, and something iffy is going on in his ancestral home. Something or someone is camouflaging as a ghost in his castle. He hires Ellie to help him deal with it
But this time, she is up against something more sinister than rats - a true crime. What got me in this story is the way all those aristocrats treat Ellie - as if she is dirt, not worthy even of their politeness, much less of their respect. Nicolas is the worst. He knew what she was when he hired her, so why does he treats her with such disdain? Why does he withhold information from her? Why does he obstructs her at every turn?
And she lets them all do their worst to her. Despite all the complications she experiences in that damn castle, despite their combined mockery, she takes all they dish out to her and does her job without complaining. She risks her life for them. She feels sorry for them, while all this bunch of obnoxious British nobles feel is greed. They are all rich, and they want more money, and woe to those who, like Ellie, stand in their way.
I was so angry on Ellie's behalf, I wanted to scream in frustration. I wanted to bash all those British aristocratic bastards on their heads and inflict as much pain as I could. They were ready to kill Ellie, or in case of her employer, to sacrifice her to his family's interest, while all she had against their icy hauteur and boiling greed was her American common sense, her humanity, and her artistic creativity. And her carnal interest in her employer (which I never understood).
No, I didn't like this book.
The novel is about Ellie, a young American woman and a fake medium. She exorcises ghosts for a living. Of course, she doesn't believe in ghosts, but her clients do, and she gets rid of their ghosts - from dodgy plumbing to rats in the attic - employing her common sense and a healthy dose of flashy theatrics. I liked Ellie, liked her sense of humor and her compassion. She doesn't mock her clients: she helps them. She is a consummate actress too, an artist enjoying her craft, and I've always admired creative people.
Her current employer, Nicolas, knows she is a fake, a con woman. But he is a British aristocrat with a crumbling old castle, and something iffy is going on in his ancestral home. Something or someone is camouflaging as a ghost in his castle. He hires Ellie to help him deal with it
But this time, she is up against something more sinister than rats - a true crime. What got me in this story is the way all those aristocrats treat Ellie - as if she is dirt, not worthy even of their politeness, much less of their respect. Nicolas is the worst. He knew what she was when he hired her, so why does he treats her with such disdain? Why does he withhold information from her? Why does he obstructs her at every turn?
And she lets them all do their worst to her. Despite all the complications she experiences in that damn castle, despite their combined mockery, she takes all they dish out to her and does her job without complaining. She risks her life for them. She feels sorry for them, while all this bunch of obnoxious British nobles feel is greed. They are all rich, and they want more money, and woe to those who, like Ellie, stand in their way.
I was so angry on Ellie's behalf, I wanted to scream in frustration. I wanted to bash all those British aristocratic bastards on their heads and inflict as much pain as I could. They were ready to kill Ellie, or in case of her employer, to sacrifice her to his family's interest, while all she had against their icy hauteur and boiling greed was her American common sense, her humanity, and her artistic creativity. And her carnal interest in her employer (which I never understood).
No, I didn't like this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews