Missing in Michigan

Alexa Bentley Paranormal Mysteries #1

by April A. Taylor

Is she a medium? A psychic? Alexa Bentley only knows one thing for certain; she can talk to ghosts. And sometimes, they take her advice. Missing in Michigan is ideal for fans of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Mysteries, quirky female characters, and the Paranormal Mystery/Supernatural Suspense genre. This exciting, funny new series will keep you guessing!

Alexa's unusual ghost therapy skills take her to a remote corner of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. But this case is much trickier than anything else she's ever encountered. A grieving ghost, several missing teens, and a supernatural creature from Native American folklore stand in her path. Along the way, she manages a bit of romance and lots of witty humor.

Alexa Bentley Paranormal Mysteries - She's a witty, mystery-solving ghost therapist. From the author of the Midnight Myths and Fairy Tales Series.

Genres: Paranormal, Mystery, Ghosts, Fiction, Paranormal Mystery, Suspense, Fantasy

174 pages, ebook

First published June 15, 2018

About the author

April A. Taylor is an award-winning, multi-genre author and dark art photographer. Her debut novel, The Haunting of Cabin Green, was featured on:

Popsugar's '13 Most Chilling Horror Books of 2018.'

Inquisitr's 'Best Horror Books of 2018.'

Ranker's '2018's Scariest Horror Books.'

BoredPanda's '7 Books That Scared Me Half to Death.'

BLGM's 'Best Gothic Horror Books.'

Sinkhole: A Horror Story and Missing in Michigan received 5-star ratings from Readers' Favorite. Corvo Hollows was named a 5-Star Must Read Book by Reedsy.

Sinkhole: A Horror Story was featured on:

Grit Daily's 'Horror Continues to Thrive with the Scariest Books of 2019'

Medium.com's 'Celebrate Halloween with These Macabre and Progressive Horror Books'

BuzzFeed Community's '7 New Horror Books That Will Actually Scare You'

The Haunting of Cabin Green was the #1 Amazon best seller in the U.S. New Horror Releases category for three straight weeks. It went on to become a #1 Best-Seller in Gothic, Ghosts, U.S. Horror, and LGBT Horror. Additionally, it was the Top Vote-Getter in the Horror/Suspense category of The Kindle Book Review's 2018 Reader's Choice Awards.

April is a proud member of the Horror Writer's Association. She lives in Michigan with the love of her life and their two cats. If her life was a cartoon, she'd be Lisa Simpson.

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed by Julie on www.whisperingstories.com

‘Missing in Michigan’ is the first novel in the Alexa Bentley Paranormal Mysteries series by award-winning author, April A Taylor. We meet our main protagonist, Alex as she is negotiating with a ghost. As she describes herself as a ghost therapist and paranormal empath, perhaps this should not be too much of a surprise. If I’m honest, I did at that point wonder if this was to be a series of brief comic strip type encounters however, once Alex travels to Munising in Michigan, a more substantial story unfolds.

The tale is written in the first person so we stay with Alex throughout the book. She soon becomes embroiled in a puzzle which will take all her powers of deduction, tenacity and courage (along with a bit of help from the ghost world) to solve. She establishes herself in Munising and is joined by some foils to help the story progress. The author sets her scenes well, creating some very atmospheric backdrops. She uses humour, sarcasm, irony, foreshadowing, fear and pathos for dramatic effect, along with a smattering of romance to pull her readers into what is actually a fairly straightforward plot.

Not living in USA, I had to do a bit of research as to exactly where the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is situated and I also confess to not knowing much about Native American folklore. I was pleased to note that the author had done her homework regarding the Ojibwe legends and the wendigo in particular.

There is fine line between fleshing-out of cast and padding; in this case, I would have liked a bit more backstory to give me more emotional investment in the characters. However, the trade-off for this was a consistent and pacey momentum which was sustained until the end.

The writing style is clear and the story not over-complicated. I appreciated the epilogue at the back when the author gives her readers a bit of insight into her mind-set. I think the humour was a little out of place at times towards the end, particularly in view of the way in which the plot develops. There were a couple of twists but both were fairly easy to anticipate so no great denouement awaits the reader at the conclusion of the mystery; that doesn’t mean it isn’t exciting though.

If you enjoy paranormal mysteries, this book is for you. It is definitely a page-turner which doesn’t take itself too seriously. I look forward to the next offering in the series and award ‘Missing in Michigan’ four stars.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is the start of a new series by April Taylor. At first, we wonder what, exactly, is Alexa Bentley? Is she a psychic or a medium, or perhaps a bit of both. She can talk to ghosts and everywhere she goes, she finds them, or they find her. She knows these abilities are simply a part of who and what she is...always has been and she can’t change. Alexa heads off to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, to a small town where nothing unusual ever happens...but she finds out that it does and has been, unknown to the residents, for some time. Her task here is to get Mrs. Felton, a recently departed soul, to move on. While working on this she discovers that quite a few teens have gone missing over the past several years. Now we add to the mix a Native American supernatural creature...a sheriff with something to hide... and a professor. Alexa now has her hands full. Her goal now is to solve the mystery of the missing people before it happens to anyone else...and she wants to know exactly what is the sheriff’s big secret? This was a great read. It had everything that makes up a good spooky mystery... supernatural things goings on, plenty of ghosts, a bit of romance and surprisingly, a whole lot of humor, all wrapped up in an easy read. It has plenty of action and a few twists that you never see coming. There are some more serious subject matters covered, and it's done very well. The characters are great, easy to relate to and very likable. Do you get the idea that I really liked this book? The story hooks you enough to make you want to read the next one. I know that I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Cupcakes & Machetes · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 stars.

Alex Bentley is a ghost therapist. She helps spirits move onto whatever afterlife exists. People hire her to rid themselves of troublesome ghosts that are effecting business or driving the living person insane. Her latest case pulls her to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. What at first appears to be your average restless spirit turns into a missing persons case. The police have put in virtually zero effort in finding missing teenage boys, instead just labeling them drug addicts and runaways. The rumors in the small town even point to Native American folklore as the possible culprit.

This book is absolutely fine if you take it for what it is. A paranormal mystery with minimum world building and fairly two dimensional characters. There is a possible love triangle and some insta-love happening and isn’t that the formula for a million urban fantasies out there?

As someone who helped start a small business, I find her complete lack of business sense annoying. She’ll jet off to help someone with no guarantee of getting paid or getting paid much more than it’s costing her. She’s flying to other states, spending days at a time, coming home and having barely any money to show for it. She’s on the brink of losing everything, yet she does it again. You can point out that you can’t put a price on doing what you love, but when you’re the only known ghost therapist, you can literally put a price tag on it.

All the action parts were sparse, easily handled and over almost immediately. Even drawing out more detail of an eventual trial would have provided some well needed depth.

What this book needs is more fleshing out. More world building, more character building and progression, and more descriptions of virtually everything. At times you went from being inside the character’s mind frame to the character addressing you as if you were an audience or they were writing a letter. Anytime that Alex thought anything remotely deep that might resound with the reader, it was pointed out how serious and dark things were getting in her head and she tried to lighten the mood with some quip.

There is a lot of potential here for a great urban fantasy if the author worked out a few of these kinks. Otherwise, it’s fine but not something I’ll run around recommending to my friends.

[Patty U. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC and I enjoyed it very much. It is going to be a very good series. Alex is a ghost therapist, sort of. She helps them leave this world after they have died. There are a lot of ghosts and strange goings on in this little town she has come to. She can not get a lady to cross on until her son's disappearance is explained.

[Jason Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the author's previous book (The Haunting of Cabin Green) and enjoyed it. I decided to give this one a try even though I've never read anything like this before. The author has great range because these books have a completely different feel. I liked the character of Alex a lot. Very funny and smart, but she's flawed at times like a real person. The book wraps up nicely with a solution that makes sense. I'll probably check out other mysteries with ghosts now.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won this book on June 16, 2018

I really enjoyed this book! I so appreciating Alex and her job as a ghost therapist. Her chars were sometimes funny and sometimes a bit scary to and for Alex. The series looks like is will be very good. Thanks again, for the opportunity to read and win.

[Sonya Loyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this Kindle book as a winner in a Goodreads giveaway, all thoughts and opinions are my own. This is a short and entertaining mystery. I enjoyed getting to know Alexa Bentley in this first book of the series. She is a ghost therapist who helps trapped spirits move on from where they are stuck. The follow-up book is out and the author is writing the 3rd book now. I have a huge TBR list but I hope to continue with the series.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Let me say, I love Alex! She’s the witty, sometimes snarky, definitely quirky best friend you didn’t know you needed. The story is fast paced, entertaining, and keeps you hooked. I highly recommend this book!

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 Stars

Zoinks! I kept waiting for scooby doo and shaggy to appear.

I actually wish they did appear, I would have given the story another 1/16 of a star.

Poor dialogue, unbelievable circumstances, and just plain nonsense.

Remove this from your tbr list.

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Native American Myth and Mystery

Alexa can see and feel ghosts; their fears and torment weigh heavily on her. When she is asked to remove a ghost from a massage parlor, the ghost refuses unless Alexa agree to find what happened to her missing son.
Alexa seeks help from the local sheriff and a local professor, both of whom seem to be hiding something. Then she learns the boy is one of many missing from the area. Will her attraction to these two men hinder or help her investigation? And what is happening to young male teens?
The plot was interesting and our protagonist is well discribed. I enjoyed learning about the history and mythology surrounding the UP (upper peninsula. Of Michigan). That being said, I felt the book was a little choppy leaving minor holes in the narrative, such as, no clear indication of why the professor was uncomfortable with taking Alexa to the island and any descriptions of Alex's research into other theories of the disappearences.

[Majanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...

In Missing in Michigan, the first book in this brand new series, Alexa Bentley isn’t quite sure if she’s psychic, a medium, or something else alltogether, but one thing’s for sure: she can talk to ghost. As a therapist for the deceased, she helps troubled spirits move on to the afterlife, but that’s not always as easy as it sounds.

Her current case, for example, is anything but easy. This time around, rather than a living family asking her to remove a ghost from their property, it’s a grieving ghost enlisting her help. During a seemingly normal case, the ghost refuses to leave until Alexa helps her find her missing son. But then Alexa discovers there are more teens missing…

Missing teens, a supernatural creature from Native American folklore, and of course a plethora of ghostly activity are only the tip of the ice berg. I don’t want to give away any spoilers for the plot, so I’ll just say that a lot of stuff happens, and some of it you wouldn’t expect in the slightest!

The story is fast-paced, the plot entertaining, the characters – in particular Alexa – are intriguing, and overall, this is a gripping read that fans of paranormal mysteries will certainly enjoy.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't my normal type of book, but I thought it was a very enjoyable and quick read. I liked the main character and felt she was very relatable. There were a couple small holes in the plot and things that could have been explained a bit further, but it didn't take too much away from the story. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Mark Baumgart · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I roll into a ball and try to resist the call of what must be at least dozens of ghosts.”

Alexa Bentley is marginally employed woman who makes her living providing “therapy” to the dead who don’t know how to move on. Now, being between jobs, Alexa trucks up to Munising, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to see Leslie who runs a message parlor that is haunted by Mrs. Felton, a customer that had died during a session. Mrs. Felton had been grieving about her runaway son Josh, and her spirit will not rest until he has been found, alive or dead. Unfortunately, it seems that Josh is just one of a LONG line of young men that had disappeared from the area over the years.

What Mrs. Felton wants from Alexa is for her to find out the fate of her son. It is here that Alexa finds out about the long line of missing boys, and that her job in Munising is not going to be as easy as she thought she would be. Now she has to go from being a spirit “therapist” to that of a detective. A job that she doesn’t think that she’s qualified for.

So, Alexa adopts the persona of that of a novelist doing research, and through this persona she is able to ask questions without arousing too much attention. While nosing around she meets Munising’s local top cop Chad Hambler, a looker who sets her heart aflutter. Along with him, Alexa meets his distant, and initially, unfriendly secretary Sally. Alexa gets her interview with Sherriff Hambler, but she gets the impression that her questions about any of the disappearances are unwanted.

As she continues to ask about town, she is exposed to the local legend of the Wendigo, a brutal creature that lives in he nearby woods that might be picking off the runaway kids. To gather some information on this legend she takes a trip to Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community Collage to see Prof. Wayne Williams who is an expert in local Indian lore.

The melodrama is then ratcheted up as it becomes a toss-up as to who Alexa will fall for, Chad or Wayne? However, during her information gathering Alexa, realizes that she will have to go to the local Isle Royal in it’s off season to continue her investigations.

Missing in Michigan by April A. Taylor is a pretty straightforward story that goes A to Z, with no real surprises, except for one. That one is that this novel has a real disappointing, and weak ending, one that goes on way too long, and which undercuts everything that has come before it. All-in-all, the novel is so bland, and so flat, that it reads like either an outline for a longer and better novel, or an adaptation of a television movie. This is a novel with a good premise, but with an underwhelming creation. It is also a novel that could easily be mistaken for a juvenile, or a book for young readers.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex is a ghost therapist. Or at least that's what she calls it. She can hear voices and see the dead, and when they need help, she's there. Her most recent ghost is a dead woman that hah a missing son. She refuses to leave until Alex helps her find her missing son. Alex is now playing detective. She is on a case that is like nothing she has ever experienced before.

Alex is a wonderful character. She is funny and is so easy to love. She takes her gift and helps the living and the dead. This story was action packed and detailed. I instantly fell in love with this story. I swear I could picture it all happening in my head and that's before I read the line about "turning her case into a movie" haha.

Honestly, this was the best mystery/paranormal story I have read in a long time. It had great characters. It was filled with action and mystery. It kept me genuinely enthralled from beginning to end. Oh, and that ending!!! I can't wait to read the next Alexa mystery. I'm sure it's going to be another wild ride!

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[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosts who are determined to get things done

Awesome. She has also been able to see and communicate with ghosts and is now working as a "ghost therapist". Okay it doesn't pay well but she's got no option. It's either help them or be forced to help them. When she receives a letter begging for her help, she thinks it will just be an easy job. How wrong was she? The ghost refuses to leave until her missing son is found! He is just one of a large number of teens that have gone missing. The sheriff seems to be doing nothing about it and it falls on her to find the truth. Take the wendigo legend, a small island, a hunky professor, an inept sheriff and a community that are all wringing their hands but doing nothing and you have a great plot with twists and turns that will actually have you believing in the legend. Wonderful characters and a great portrayal of what a determined person can achieve.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from a goodreads.com giveaway; so glad I did. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more from this author and the continuation of this series.

The main character, Alexa Bentley isn’t really sure if she’s psychic, a medium, or something else entirely. All she know for sure is she can talk to ghost. She helps troubled spirits cross over, which can be harder than she plans on. In this book she is hired to remove a ghost from a business but the ghost wants her to help find her missing son. Trouble is everything is not as it seems and more boys are missing from this small town in Michigan.....

Native American folklore is also an added element which Alexa was not expecting to enter in her quest to help the ghost crossover. The paranormal activity keeps you reading and with the unexpected twists makes for an fun read.

[Karen Ingalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexa has the gift to communicate with the spirits of those who have died, but have not moved on to the next "level". She is single, lives with her beloved cat, and earns her living helping people get rid of unwanted ghosts or spirits. The story centers around her assignment to help Mrs. Fenton make her transition by finding out what happened to her son. Then it turns out there a number of teens who have disappeared over 20 years.
The setting is set in Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Lake Superior, and Isle Royale. I have spent a lot of time on or near Lake Superior and visited Isle Royale so my experiences added to my interest in the story.
Well-written fast paced book with some twists that surprised me. A good read.

[Wanda Ladd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in the U.P.

I've lived it's greatin the U.P. most of my life along with many family members. My family came here in 1958 when I was 6 weeks old ,to the Marquette -Munising area working in the deep woods. But mostly I've lived in Alston and L'Anse for the past 40 years. I just turned 65 . Anyway I enjoyed your story and believe me some paranormal activity here is very real. Baraga is 5 miles away. You should write a paranormal story about the local ancient Indian cemetery and the things that have happened there. Keep up writing those good stories. Their are spirits everywhere.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one in one day.
The setting was the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. One of my favorite places in the USA. It was the setting that made me download the book.
Alex Bentley could see, talk to, smell phantom odors, and was an empath. She used these gifts to help ghosts resolve their problems and move on. The letter from the U.P. asking for help was just another case like all the others. Or so she thought.

[Patricia Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway. Thank you!

A ghost therapist? What a hoot! These ghosts all have problems and must have closure before they can cross over. A moaning ghost is a big problem when she won't go away and Alex must solve this case if she wants to get paid and move ahead with her life. Check it out. It's an easy read, and the author has the second book in this series on the way!

[mary-kay richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The name of the book caught my eye,I live in U.P of Michigan and Munising is only an hour away! The beginning is a little hard to read because of the lack of punctuation, but the whole book is interesting!
I can't really say to much about the characters without giving away details on book. It is a good, but, short read! My rating would be a four and a half of it wasn't for the lack of comma's!!

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

High hopes

The story started off great, fun banter, quirky main character and some romance. Then it all fell apart halfway through. It felt like it was a rush to end it. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. The last half was a mess and all over the place.

[Huldie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

I was disappointed in this book. In the presence of men, Alexa behaved like an over-sexed teenager, rather than an adult. Honestly, blushing just because a man looked at her? And, a town ignoring the fact that boys are missing? I won't even start on the sheriff.

[Janice Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read!

I’m from Upper Michigan, Marquette. My husband and I lived in Munising. He was in the Coast Guard. I did enjoy reading about Munising and the author’s
Discriptions of the U. P. And that she used the expression Yooper! Yes I believe in ghosts.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the character Alex! A real page turner. Recommended reading

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always good to find a new author I can enjoy.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written and has well developed/loveable characters. Very well told story and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!

[Judy Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

really bad writing….

No plot no story, not funny… ridiculous characters. The main “storyline” was every dumb thought in her main characters head

[Lacy Mckinney hargrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

very exhilarating

This novel was hard to put down. I was always on edge wondering. Great mystery from a great place to vacation.

[Michele Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexa Bently has an unusual occupation. She is a Ghost Therapist. She helps ghosts crossover. But this time she finds a ghost that won't leave until she finds what happened to her missing son... Well written good read!