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Oona Goodlight #1

Ice-Cold Death

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Murder and dark magic aren’t even the worst of it
Oona Goodlight just wants to get through hockey practice, but a dead body on the ice means practice is canceled. A secret psychic and empath, she is shocked by the brutal death and shocked again when she witnesses the murder—and the killer—in a vision.

When a wizard investigator asks her to use her psychic abilities to find the murderer, she’s pulled into a battle she never wanted to fight against a grudge-holding foe who’s waited a long time to see her dead.

If Harry Potter and Kinsey Millhone had a love child, she would be Oona Goodlight—wicked smart, a bit of a loner, and relentless on the hunt. If you like the perfect combination of murder mystery and the paranormal blended with a dash of romance, you’ll love this new series.


204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2018

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About the author

Alexes Razevich

38 books57 followers
Alexes Razevich grew up in Orange County, California and San Francisco. She attended California State University San Francisco, earning a degree in creative writing. She is a former editor for Electronic Engineering Times and freelance writer. Her work has appeared in The Easy Reader, (winner, fiction contest) Ceramics Monthly, Rolling Stone, and several electronics industry specific publications.

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5 stars
221 (39%)
4 stars
180 (32%)
3 stars
113 (20%)
2 stars
30 (5%)
1 star
11 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
Profile Image for Jane.
173 reviews22 followers
August 9, 2018
I've struggled to find new urban-fantasy (with a bit of romance thrown in) series and I was hopeful for this one. But, it's not to be. As others have said, the set-up is good, protagonist is a psychic who is asked to help a private investigator (who's a wizard) solve the death of a man they both knew.

My biggest issue and the reason for the middling grade is that Oona, the heroine, is just basically there. Others have described her as wishy-washy, which I agree with, but she's also just so blah in her responses to everything. Diego, the PI Wizard, twists her arm to help with the case by playing on her guilt. Okay. But her response to that is basically, 'oh I don't really want to, but oh I feel bad for the dead guy and his mourning dad, so I guess'. And she agrees to help. But she's only going to help with this case. And then while returning from an investigative foray, Diego is called to the home of another client and since he's her ride, Oona goes along (planning to read in the car while he works). Okay. But then they get there and he asks her to help. And again she's like, 'no I don't want to, okay, I feel bad for these people, so okay'. And so on.

Those are only a couple examples, but time and time again, her emotional response is about as flat as you can get. She realizes the killer probably knows where she lives and her response is mild irritation that Diego is going to stay with her to protect her and she likes her space. Her emotions range from calm to mildly disturbed pretty much throughout the book.
Profile Image for Anneliese Gato.
93 reviews5 followers
September 16, 2021
I tried. I really did. This book however was not good.

Great idea, poor execution. The idea of a psychic and a wizard getting together to find a murderer was intriguing, but the lack of developed characters made it impossible for me to continue.

First, the FMC is boring and wishy-washy. I have no idea who this person is supposed to be. She has no personality. There's just nothing there to like or dislike if I'm honest. If I disliked her, the story would have been more interesting. Also, she's the stereotypical "I'm rich, so I don't have to work" type. Cool, except she doesn't actually do anything. Which was explained as her powers are hard on her in such cases, but she reveals that she knows they're trainable. So she just didn't learn how to cancel people out to live a life? Sorry, but I don't see that happening in real life at all.

Second, the MMC. Much the same, except he is perfect at everything and is neither humble nor arrogant about it. It's almost like he is a robot. Usually, people would be proud of the skills they developed or feel like they need to work harder. To him, it was just a fact. Also, the FMC kept calling him a gentleman and a nice guy, but I felt he was a jerk. First, they had promised each other not to tell anyone what they were and he immediately went and told his colleagues at work. Then he guilted her into working for him to solve the case. Also, he used the paperwork she filled out to call her cell phone and not even say "Hey I found your number on the form and I needed to reach out to you." There was nothing of the sort there.

I'm supposed to believe this guy is gentleman? No way. More like a stalker, especially when he followed her home when she told him not to. Oh, and she actually felt happy that he followed her home. Um, what? I would never be happy about that.

Anyway, after reading 34 pages of this, I was done. I just couldn't anymore.
305 reviews2 followers
May 26, 2018
Absolutely fantastic

Oh this book is the good stuff. Great writing, characters that are complex but likeable, a plot to make you lose your Saturday evening but love every minute. Great urban fantasy but Oona and Diego are characters with heart, authentic, well rounded.

Add in a plot where you need to keep turning the page, you've just got to know what happens. I'm off to lose the rest of my weekend with the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Laura.
1,239 reviews11 followers
August 25, 2018
Mixed feelings

I would give this a 3 to 3.5 rating.
I enjoy reading paranormal romance novels but this one left me with mixed feelings. I did read through the whole book. The heroine, Oona was too conflicting and there was too much repetition on "should I do this or should I do that, I want this but I also want that". I really don't mind some repetition on character behaviors but when it feels overdone, it pulls from the joy of reading the book. The hero, Diego, well...he's pretty standard as far as hero's go. Not all super mighty and had some flaws which makes him more human. The storyline was pretty good. I did feel like there wasn't enough depth to the story though, very minimal supporting characters, and the relationship between Oona and Diego was very bland. Their relationship seemed like a forced one to bring something to the storyline. It probably would have been better if they remained acquaintances/partners and then have that relationship build as the story progresses in future installments. I hope the next installment will have more depth to it.
Profile Image for Aki.
480 reviews4 followers
May 6, 2018
DNF.

This was gotten from Bargain Booksy and had an interesting premise: psychic-empathic witch asked by wizard to help find hockey player’s murderer.

Sounds like a slam dunk, yeah?

But here we are on chapter five and pretty much all I’ve read from Oona Goodlight is flip-flopping of ‘I don’t want to do this, but I must,’ and her attraction to the wizard Diego— who’s asked for her help in catching a murderer.

Few things annoy me more than wishy-washy characters and romance that supersedes the main plot— and there’s 204 pages. I’m cringing thinking of what the next pages will be.

In the interest of self preservation for a very sleepless night this is going on the DNF shelf.
Profile Image for Shannon.
76 reviews16 followers
June 22, 2018
Interesting premise, and well written, I just didn’t happen to like the MC very much. She was supposedly a hockey player, but she was very.......meek, wussy, and kind of a PIA. I don’t need all my MCs to be a badass, but I’m not really a fan of meek and timid.
Profile Image for Myriam.
645 reviews26 followers
April 25, 2018
This was a great story and a great start of a new series. This was also my first introduction to this author, and apart from anticipating the next book in this series, I think I will start reading the other works of this author because she is great. Her writing is impeccable, characters well rounded and developed, world is well built and full of mystery, and she added some unexpected and interesting creatures and mysteries.
I devoured the story immediately, It was interesting and addictive and it drew me in after two pages. Nothing is as it seems in this book. It starts like any other crime novel, but it isn't. There are hints of romance, but it is not the focus of the story. Just when you think some weird shifter showed up, it is not a shifter. And what seems to be behind the veil - isn't, it is something else, and way more sinister. As I said, interesting and addictive.
As for the characters, they are wonderful. Oona is a bit of a loner, not surprising considering her abilities, but she is brave, strong and thinks it is the right thing to do to help people in need and stop the killer. She is an exceptionally lovable character. Oh, and she is an ice hockey player. 
Then there is Diego, very charming wizard, maybe a bit arrogant, but still very likable. There is an abundance of chemistry between them, and the buildup is very well executed. There are some additional very interesting characters, of which Maurice was my absolute favourite, and that is all I'm going to say, you have to experience that character yourself.
Although I am eagerly anticipating the next book, this one does have a definite ending, and that is not the reason for my anticipation. I just loved this book and want more. This book can be read as a standalone, as it has a really interesting and well developed crime/mystery solving plot with a resolution.
Profile Image for Marcia Bonnet-Benjamin.
20 reviews
April 17, 2018
I received an ARC at no cost from the author. First, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed this ride. The main characters are Oona Goodlight, an empath/psychic, and Diego Adair, wizard and detective. The story is told through Oona's perspective, inviting the reader to partake in her adventure. I didn't want to put it down! The narrative has a good rhythm with enough mystery to keep you hooked along the way. Magic and paranormal are all over the story and there's also some romance. The characters are credible, relatable and likable. It was also a light read: no tears, no huge dilemmas. On the whole, a good book to read when you want to chill and dive into a well told story.

The author has also skillfully avoided some of the pitfalls that we see so frequently in Urban Fantasy publications in which parts of the story and sometimes characters remind the reader too closely of other successful book series. Definitely not the case here. The writing and even the title remind me loosely of Charlaine Harris but the story felt new with no echoes of any other books I've read, which is a quality I value immensely.

After reading the book I realized there's a prequel by the poetic title of The Girl with Stars in her Hair. Obviously it will now have to be added to my TBR list. I must know how it all began...
Profile Image for Katheyer.
1,557 reviews25 followers
April 21, 2020
„Ice-Cold Death“ the first book in the “Oona Goodlight Series” by Alexes Razevich puts a fresh and unexpected twist into the UF genre and captivates the reader from the very beginning. The MC Oona Goodlight is a female player in otherwise all-men ice-hockey team, and just these two facts, the protagonist name and her position in the teams, give an interesting introduction in what at the very first sight is a murder mystery.

Oona and her teammates are just coming for practice when they find a dead boy on the rink, waiting for the police to arrive a couple of facts set the mood for the series: Oona is am empath, who experiences by touch the feelings and inner thoughts of those she meets; Diego, the brand new replacement player also have some secrets of his own. He is a wizard working for a supernatural detective agency. The chemistry between both MC is instantaneous, both are very likeable, and even if Oona come somehow standoffish at time, everything is nicely explained by her reluctance to touch people and get a load of some very unwelcomed feelings and visions in the process. Unfortunately, in order to be able to solve the murder, she will have to come to terms with her abilities.

The book is well-written, a light reading without excessive drama baggage with original characters and an interesting plot. A very good start in a brand-new series.
Profile Image for Oana.
316 reviews
August 4, 2022
When it comes to fantasy most of the time I end up reading stories set in other worlds, so I found it very refreshing to find an urban fantasy set in the modern world. This story has both great and not so great aspects, but when I look over it as a whole I find it a nice read to just decompress after a tiring day.
The story follows Oona, reclusive hockey player and psychic empath , as she gets dragged into solving a murder mystery by the other supernatural player on her team. Together those two uncover more than they wanted about that murderer and the very existence of their town.
The action was good with just 2 or 3 small plot twists. It moved along at a nice pace and it was easy to follow all the descriptions and later "fight scenes"
Oona gave me "I would rather be elsewhere that here but I guess I'll help " vibes, while Diego seemed like the perfect example of a man of a few words. I appreciated that by the end Oona was a bit better at using her powers and not so ignorant about the supernatural world.
1,393 reviews5 followers
December 5, 2024
This book immediately attracted me due to the murder victim was a hockey player, being a big hockey fan, I couldn’t resist. I’m glad I didn’t.
Oona is a psychic and empath who tends to keep to herself except for playing hockey. When her team arrives at the rink for a game and discovers the victim, she finds out that the stand in goalie,
Deigo, is actually a wizard. After he discovers that she has some impressions about the murder, he enlists her to help out with his private investigator job.
This book covers the mystery of who committed the murder as well as some others that happen. It also covers the growth of Oona’s skills, her growing attraction to Diego, and introduces other people/creatures of the supernatural world.
I found this an interesting book, an easy, quick read. I’m interesting is seeing how Oona’s powers change as he grows closer to Diego as well as the future investigations that they will be involved in.
Profile Image for Spinneretta.
2,932 reviews21 followers
May 20, 2020
Good

Oona Goodlight is a psychic empath, so it wasn’t a huge surprise that her abilities let her ‘see’ the murder of the hockey player her team found dead on the ice.
The wizard Diego (who was subbing for their goalie) on the other hand, was a surprise. And when he convinces Oona to help him solve the murder, she is drawn into a whole new world!
Oona is a loner, mostly because her abilities make it hard for her to deal with people easily. Diego is a P.I. who was brought up in the magical world, and is very powerful. Together, they make a balanced team.
This murder mystery is heavy on the fantasy element, with a little romance and adventure thrown in for good measure. Fans of Urban Fantasy series like Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews, might enjoy this one.
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews55 followers
May 13, 2018
Sometimes two is better than one

Great first book. She has always kept herself separate from others, due to her talents, except for the game of ice hockey. But practice never started as they find a body on the ice. Why is she seeing double when she see the killer? Meeting the wizard and joining the agency is a way to help bring the killer to justice. Monsters, different dimensions and talking rats are all mixed into a great plot that has our heroine being stalked by a monster. She is independent and strong, both mentally and physically. He is assured in his own talents and used to having his own way. Together they are a powerful mix.
Profile Image for fred jones.
1,847 reviews12 followers
June 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this story, I liked both the lead characters Oona the secretive empathic psychic and Diego the powerful Wizard. When Oona just wanted to practice Ice Hockey with her teammates not find the body of an acquaintance on the ice, or to have a vision of the murder and murderer. Diego a private investigator and Wizard asks her to assist in the investigation and this is just the start of the problems.. An very entertaining storyline combines modern day America but were magic and paranormal powers are real and parallel other realms exist. A fact paced well written book. Narration is excellent and makes the story easy to listen to and enjoy.
642 reviews4 followers
April 15, 2018
Absolutely loved this book. I got an ARC copy from the author, but would never let that persuade me to give a good review. I bought another book by her today. I have never read anything by her before , but I will be reading more. It has all the components that make for a great book. Characters that are interesting and that you care about. Magick, characters that you want to know more about , a sexy wizard, a psychic and tattoos.
Profile Image for T..
Author 13 books573 followers
May 3, 2018
How refreshing to read a book when the two protagonists are in a healthy relationship--equal footing, mutual respect, and communication. The story-line was really good, and I enjoyed the the byplay between the characters as they solve the crime/murder. Oona, as a psychic, adds wonderful depth to the plot, and Diego is a perfect partner. Razevich is a new author for me, but I'll definitely look for more books in this series (and possibly others).
Profile Image for Gail Daley.
Author 44 books20 followers
May 16, 2020
A Good Start

This isn’t a bad start for a series. The heroine is smart, gutsy and pretty likeable. The hero is okay too. I’m not a jock so I didn’t find a lot in common with her, but since the sports stuff was kept to a minimum I didn’t find it distracting. The mystery wasn’t really a mystery since the real killer is identified halfway through the story. This more of a how do we catch him than a whodunnit, but it worked out okay.
44 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2020
Really liked this book. It was interesting, offering seeming insights into what its like to be an empath/ psychic which added veracity to the character.
The story line was a new twist for me and I liked the wizard character. All the other little characters were fun and a delicious sense of humour pops up from time to time that made me smile. Will get no two in this series. A good read.
Profile Image for Stacey.
112 reviews1 follower
April 22, 2018
I got this as an ARC and it was amazing. Great story, relatable characters... my only “complaint” is halfway through the book she started calling Diego “Dee” and it made it a little hard to follow who was who. Other than that... great read!
Profile Image for Gillian.
238 reviews2 followers
April 27, 2018
A lot of fun. A great romp.

This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed. It had a great world set up with fun magic. Plot moved quickly but realistically and didn’t leave me feeling like the book was rushed. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
Profile Image for M.K. Turner.
Author 42 books77 followers
September 14, 2018
I wanted something different to read, and what a good choice. I liked Oona. I liked Diego. I like their partnership. The story flows well with some great characters, a murder mystery to solve, and the excitement of a will they won't they relationship. Looking forward to the next in the series.
Profile Image for Doris Jennings.
36 reviews
October 15, 2018
Great book!

Mostly I don't read this type of book, a lazy Sunday morning with some rain thought ok I'll see if I like this book. I really like it and am looking forward to the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Stephanie Garza.
Author 1 book7 followers
December 10, 2019
Nicely done

Oona Goodlight is a psychic and an empath who accidentally winds up being a PI who saves the world. There’s some romance along the way.

Solid characters and world building, especially for the first in a series. Fun read for folks who like PNR.
6 reviews1 follower
February 25, 2020
Fast Read!

Great characters, action, romance and suspense. Very fun read. Looking forward to the next book.
Could have used a bit better editing. (Not much!)There were some words used incorrectly.
Profile Image for AmandaJR.
877 reviews7 followers
August 25, 2020
Awesome

This was a new a to me author. Was actually an ad on a social media, you know how those are always a hit or miss. But this was a total HIT! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I love how Oona and Diego are together.
365 reviews2 followers
October 18, 2020
Great beginning

This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely will not be my last. The story starts with a bang and does not quit. I also really liked the story behind Oona's abilities and her interactions with Dee. I am looking forward to more.
146 reviews1 follower
February 3, 2021
Really enjoyed this first in series

Really enjoyed this first in series...Looking forward to reading the next book...loved all the characters...great plot...Will lookout for more from this author.
16 reviews
May 11, 2021
I loved the characters and the details!

I chose this rating because I enjoyed this book and wish there was more! I generally don't like detail and yet the details in this book enhance the story and make it more gripping! I really enjoyed this book!
Profile Image for Kathy.
87 reviews
April 17, 2018
This was my first book by this author, and I was pleasantly surprised. Great storyline, good level of detail, and an all-around entertaining read.
Profile Image for Paulette Sharp.
23 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2018
Could not put it down

I choose this book as a way to check out a new author. I was pleased that the book was so good I had trouble putting the book down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews