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The Twelve Gems of Murder #1

The Curse of the Ruby Eyes

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Dark secrets lurk in Amelia Albert's family history, and the murder of her great grandfather spurs her to become a detective investigator. However, what she was about to discover was more than what she'd ever expected to find.
Amelia didn't believe in curses or the supernatural kind until she saw her first homicide case. They found a pile of ash on the ground, along with a small stone dragon at the scene, and a Burmese curse written on the wall reminded her of notes she had read from her great grandfather's unsolved murder in 1938.
Amelia partners with her boss, Detective Robert Flatterly, to work the case, and Amelia's ancestry becomes the focal point of the case. She discovers the roots go much deeper into the past than she thought. Seven hundred years in the past, to be exact.
She uncovers that a tattoo she received along with her best friend Serafina, when they were younger, was created with ink made by Serafina's grandma who practiced voodoo. When Amelia unknowingly rubs on her tattoo, it transported her to the past, giving Amelia a different perspective on the crimes committed.
After solving her first supernatural crime, Amelia decides to open a new secret department within her cold case department called, The Department of Investigations of Supernatural Crimes (D. I. S, C) at the Rose Arbor Island Police Department.
Can Amelia and Detective Flatterly find the scroll that can extinguish the curse and send the Naga Dragon back to the Netherworld permanently? Or will they become ash like the other victims?

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2021

5 people are currently reading
13 people want to read

About the author

Shelly M. Neinast

4 books23 followers
Shelly M. Neinast was born in Anaheim, California. Traveling had inspired her creativity in writing through her travels abroad in the cultural differences leading her to seek a BA degree in History and Anthropology introducing her to the fantasy and cultural folklore genres. She writes supernatural suspense mysteries, paranormal/time travel, and in the folklore genres. She has published three novels and is currently working on her next adventurous mystery. When not writing, she enjoys gardening, sewing, and traveling, and currently lives in Vancouver, Washington.

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5 stars
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12 (38%)
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for S.A. Krishnan.
Author 31 books228 followers
December 28, 2021
Adventure/fantasy story

After completing her degree in criminology, Amelia decides to join the police force to solve cold cases. Amelia comes from a family of archaeologists and her own great grandfather Geoffrey was killed in brutal circumstances eighty one years ago. Amelia wants to solve that crime and that is when she realises that someone is repeating the same crimes in the present day, in fact on the very day she joins her work. She comes across a link between the present case and the case of her own great grandfather, and that is when she discovers the power she has because of a set of tattoos that she and her friend Seraphina had done at the same time. Following astral projections, Amelia learns the secret and finds an immortal who is under the power of a Naga. Her friend gets kidnapped too and then after that, she plans to get her own Nagi to neutralize Drago, who has been committing these murders through another, as revenge. Nice read.
Profile Image for Joshua Griffith.
Author 25 books34 followers
February 20, 2022
A wonderful supernatural crime thriller

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! The story revolves around Amelia who has finished college and has joined the police force as a detective that will handle cold cases. Her world goes topsy turvy when she finds a strange connection to a rash of recent brutal murders, where the victims were burned into a pile of ash with a strange little statue in it, and her great grandfather's death eighty-one years ago, using the same MO. As the story unfolds, Amelia discovers that not all as it appears to be and she finds out that the supernatural is real and not made up and that she has her own abilities as an ancient evil threatens to destroy her and her associates. Can Amelia unravel the mystery or will she end up as the next pile of ash? Read for yourself. It's a great beginning to an intriguing series. I can't wait to read the next one. I highly recommend this one!
522 reviews27 followers
December 5, 2022
Interesting read

Amelia, a new detective, set to review cold cases but first, a very recent homicide that needed her archaeological expertise. With the ability to travel back in time by rubbing her tattooed wrist, this helps her start to piece together mysterious happenings that lead to the murder of a family member.
A great young adult book which couples criminsl activities with the paranormal. Characters are well developed with interesting roles which you quickly warm to. If you like this genre or if its your first time of venturing into the supernatural then it's a good choice.
Profile Image for Joni Martins.
Author 23 books48 followers
February 26, 2022
Book Review

Basic Details:
Book Title: The Curse of the Ruby Eyes
Subtitle: (The Twelve Gems of Murder #1)
Author: Shelly M. Neinast
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1
Best read after earlier books in series?
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
Amelia Albert comes from a long line of archaeologists. Although she is interested in the field, her chosen career lies in the solving of crimes, especially cold cases. In this first book in the series, she attempts to solve the murder of some archaeologists and also of her great-grandfather. She did not expect to find romance and the paranormal.
What I liked about the book:
The book is action-filled and fast-paced.
What I didn’t like about the book:
The book was enjoyable in its entirety.
My favourite bits in the book:
How Amelia accepts what few other people would.
My least favourite bits in the book:
The book was a good read.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
This is the first book I’ve read by this author.
What books could this be compared to and why?
The book is different to most others I’ve read. A mixture of crime, cold cases and the paranormal.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children No
Young Adult Probably
Adult Yes

If you like to read fairy stories and horror, this book may be the book for you.
Book Description by Author:
Dark secrets lurk in Amelia Albert's family history, and the murder of her great grandfather spurs her to become a detective investigator. However, what she was about to discover was more than what she'd ever expected to find.
Amelia didn't believe in curses or the supernatural kind until she saw her first homicide case. They found a pile of ash on the ground, along with a small stone dragon at the scene, and a Burmese curse written on the wall reminded her of notes she had read from her great grandfather's unsolved murder in 1938.
Amelia partners with her boss, Detective Robert Flatterly, to work the case, and Amelia's ancestry becomes the focal point of the case. She discovers the roots go much deeper into the past than she thought. Seven hundred years in the past, to be exact.
She uncovers that a tattoo she received along with her best friend Serafina, when they were younger, was created with ink made by Serafina's grandma who practiced voodoo. When Amelia unknowingly rubs on her tattoo, it transported her to the past, giving Amelia a different perspective on the crimes committed.
After solving her first supernatural crime, Amelia decides to open a new secret department within her cold case department called, The Department of Investigations of Supernatural Crimes (D. I. S, C) at the Rose Arbor Island Police Department.
Can Amelia and Detective Flatterly find the scroll that can extinguish the curse and send the Naga Dragon back to the Netherworld permanently? Or will they become ash like the other victims?
About the Author:
I started writing at age 15 from extensive traveling when I was young. I went to college and received a BA in History and minors in Anthropology and Archeology. There, they introduced me to the cultural and mythological world, creating my desire to write in the supernatural and mystery genres.

In my spare time I also write folklore short stories, historical and romance time travel genres.

I have published book 1 The Curse of the Ruby Eyes, and have book 2 The Pearl of the Pirate Heart of the Twelve Gems of Murder series also on Amazon available now.
Profile Image for K.T. Munson.
Author 23 books206 followers
March 14, 2023
**Actual Rating 2.5**

Characters/Plot

I had a hard time with the characters. Let me rephrase, I had an issue with Amelia hooking up with her boss right out of the gate. Plus they had this insta-love connection that I just didn't buy (focused on the sexual attraction way too much that it felt fake). Plus Amelia's flippant attitude about the murder in the beginning did not make her feel professional at all, in fact she seemed to treat it like one big game. Add in that most days she seemed to set her own schedule and treated her job like a joke was very off-putting. To say the least I was not a big Amelia fan and Robert was even worse, but more believable as a character. On that note, Serafina was quite likeable. Thankfully the plot...well most of the plot, redeemed the story. The historical aspects of this story saved this book.

Overall

This book's writing needs some TLC. That is to say, it had so many redeeming qualities that were bogged down by stilted dialogue, poorly used tense, and lack of story cohesion. Add in logical fallacies in the plot and head hopping multiple times mid chapter (which I loath) and I struggled at times to continue.

That being said, I loved the setting in New Orleans. The author captured the charm and the mysticism. The supernatural aspect mostly enhanced the story (even if the characters reactions to it was utterly baffling). The mystery was real and the 'bad guy' felt like wind that was going to come and kill them off any second creating the right amount of tension. If the book had focused more on the historical aspects (which were much better written then any other parts of the book), this story would have been much more enjoyable.

Rating

2.5 stars (rounded down)

The settings, historical, and supernatural aspects couldn't fix bad writing/storytelling and a character I just couldn't seem to like.
Profile Image for Carole Parkes.
Author 3 books59 followers
September 12, 2023
This has all the elements of being a great novel and even a movie. An archaeological murder mystery that carries on to the present day and supernatural beings come to life to terrorise all who were involved in the historic dig. Throw in some Voodoo magic and you have a storyline that promises an exciting read. It’s a shame it’s spoiled by too many implausible events.

For instance, who walks straight out of college and walks straight into being in charge of the police’s cold case department? Not just that either. Her first case is the mysterious death of her own archeologist grandfather. At first sight, she falls immediately in love with her boss, who isn’t really her superior as she heads her own office. She’s bedded him before the week is out despite her taking most of the time away from the office at her own insistence. And the slightest thing makes her cry. Yes, I know it’s a fantasy, but this all made it made it less believable.

Apart from these unrealistic events, elements of the story were really good and there were parts I really enjoyed. For those who love fantasy, this is worth a read.
Profile Image for S.S. Saywack.
Author 9 books36 followers
November 22, 2021
Taking up her new job, investigating cold cases, Amelia starts investigating the mysterious death of her great grandfather, over 80 years ago, and finds remarkable similarities to a series of recent deaths. So begins her adventure. Together with her partner, Robert, and friend Serafina, she investigates to find there is a supernatural element to each death. The book move along at a fair pace, has plenty of twists and turns and is an enjoyable read, and the ending promises more to come. It makes a fine book as a first in a Young Adult series.
Profile Image for Cara Silver.
Author 2 books79 followers
December 10, 2021
Dragons, Voodoo and Murder

This is a great start to a series. Amelia is a strong female character. And I am happy she found a partner in Robert.
They try to solve some crazy murders and find out that it is supernatural. Can they figure it out? I will let you read to find out.
I love that most of the story takes place in Rhode Island, which is very close to where I live. It was great to see locations I recognize.
The characters were well developed and I look forward to more from the author.
148 reviews2 followers
January 13, 2022
Mystique!!!

Reading this novel was a mystique experience. This tale consisted of Amelia, a newly hired investigator working on her great grandfather's cold case murder. During this time she meets a co worker, Robert, that she is head over hills for. Solving crimes has lead her down paranormal paths and wondering how on earth will these crimes ever be solved. Some parts of the story were repetitious, but overall a good read involving elements of mystery, supernatural, time travel, as well as romance.
334 reviews16 followers
April 9, 2022
Great supernatural story

32 year old Amelia comes from a long line of archaeologists and the mysterious death of her great grandfather in 1938 inspires her to become a detective just so that she can work on his cold case. She soon stumbles into a supernatural world of voodoo magic, dragons and ancient curses. She is thrust into a battle between good and evil and has to break a millennia old curse before her and her friends are killed. This was a great read and is perfect for anybody who is into the supernatural.
Profile Image for Stephenson Holt.
Author 57 books42 followers
January 20, 2023
Something for everyone.

Something for everyone here. A supernatural story of the revenge of a mysterious dragon with ruby eyes, a police procedural maybe linking the past with the present, and a romance between the lead character and the boss she's thrown into working with.
The three elements work well together and make for a page turner. The characters develop from the start of the novel to the end, and the 'will they win the day' element keeps the readers interest peaked.

So yes, an enjoyable read, and book one with two more published, and I will be a reader.
Profile Image for Lucas W Mayberry.
Author 3 books35 followers
August 17, 2023
Great supernatural story

32 year old Amelia comes from a long line of archaeologists and the mysterious death of her great grandfather in 1938 inspires her to become a detective just so that she can work on his cold case. She soon stumbles into a supernatural world of voodoo magic, dragons and ancient curses. She is thrust into a battle between good and evil and has to break a millennia old curse before her and her friends are killed. This was a great read and is perfect for anybody who is into the supernatural.
Profile Image for Jeanie Wolfe.
Author 12 books7 followers
April 25, 2024
The cover design for the supernatural mystery is absolutely gorgeous! Amelia Albert becomes a detective and investigates her great grandfather’s mysterious murder. The delightful story moves from present time to exciting events in the past as Amelia struggles to solve the supernatural crime. I enjoyed the characters very much. Amelia and Robert were adorable together. Add in the charming best friend Serafina, and other metaphysical characters to create a very fun, twisty mystery. This story made me smile at every turn and I look forward to reading more in the series.
Profile Image for Samantha Evans.
Author 7 books68 followers
November 14, 2021
The first thing is first! I LOVED the cover! So beautiful, and it had me interested. Amelia is such a well-developed character that it had me interested all throughout the book. I went through it quickly because I could not stop. I love all the secrets and the twists and turns all throughout. Even leading to an unsolved murder of all things! Amelia's partner Robert had me interested and kept me reading it all the way to the end. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Marcelle Valentine.
Author 27 books35 followers
January 9, 2022
Enjoyable read

What could be more challenging than investigating cold cases? Exploring your own great grandfather’s mysterious death. Amelia is thrust into the supernatural with the help of her friend Seraphina and Detective love interest Robert. Voodoo, Ancient evils, and Dragu desire for his ruby eyes all point at the epic battle brewing. Book one in the Twelve Gems of Murder series, The Curse of the Ruby Eyes, is the beginning of a good series.
Profile Image for D.F. Wilson.
Author 16 books16 followers
July 24, 2022
Curse of the Ruby Eyes is an AWESOME START to a new SERIES! This story begins with Amelia starting a job investigating cold cases and the mysterious death of her great grandfather. Boy, does she get an adventure, and so do readers! Amelia, her partner, Robert, and her friend Serafina, discover a supernatural element to each death. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. On to the next!
Profile Image for Arlene Lomazoff-Marron.
Author 7 books64 followers
September 11, 2022
Enjoyable

This book was entertaining and held my interest. I was invested in the characters and their fates. The storyline was interesting and suspenseful. There was a strong theme of food throughout the book; the author often described what the characters were eating and mentioned specific restaurants in New Orleans and other cities.
Some additional editing of the book would be helpful.
Profile Image for C. Borden.
Author 22 books40 followers
September 25, 2022
Fun, quick read!

This first book by Shelly Neinast was a quick read, but was engaging from the start. There are some editorial issues throughout, but Ms. Neinast’s storytelling is immersive. Amelia is everything you’d hope a young, modern heroin to be without being over the top. The incorporation of supernatural and mythical elements just add to the development of all the characters involved.

Thoroughly enjoyable!
Profile Image for Andrew Hudson.
Author 9 books32 followers
December 16, 2021
Strong start to a series...

The cover alone was enough to grab my attention and the story gripped me from start to finish. The author has done very well to describe the characters with detail to make them seem real, the number of plot twists made it hard to put the book down... I am also a big fan of murder mysteries so this book was brilliant. I certainly recommend this book to other readers
Profile Image for Krystal.
240 reviews3 followers
April 9, 2022
Very interesting

I thought this book was very unique, using both archaeology a nond m magic together. It brought me back to the days when I was an anthropology major and would research as much as I could for my papers. The characters were interesting, especially Amelia's best friend, Serafina.

I can't wait for the next story.
Profile Image for C.G. Jaquish.
Author 9 books23 followers
September 8, 2022
What an Interesting Concept!

I love the combination if real-world and the supernatural in this book. I've always enjoyed dabbling a bin in Archeaology so this was right up my alley. Well-developed characters and a thickening plot served to enthral the reader even more! Looking forward to book 2.
Profile Image for Vicky Peplow.
Author 68 books63 followers
October 31, 2021
The great start!

A great start to a new series that I'm looking forward to reading. The author gives a lot of details regarding the characters which is great.
I look forward to seeing how this series comes to light and how it plays out. Great work.
Profile Image for Julie Mannino.
Author 56 books140 followers
July 3, 2022
I read book two first, so the characters were already familiar, but it was cool to see the beginning and their first case. This was quite gripping and kept me turning the pages.
Also, the cover is really gorgeous and eye-catching!
Profile Image for D.David Croot.
492 reviews6 followers
May 6, 2023
A splendid supernatural crime thriller

A splendid supernatural crime thriller full of voodoo and intrigue and can’t wait to dive right into the other books
In All…the copious amounts of coffee was worth it!
Profile Image for Anita Kirk.
Author 29 books283 followers
August 5, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book, all of the characters are described well making it feel like they are real, very interesting, it kept me hooked wanting more on the edge of my seat.
Profile Image for Lucia Catherine.
491 reviews7 followers
March 27, 2022
Interesting story!

This book has it all! Intrigue, romance, friendship, mystical, and murder! A quick and fun read with a strong and fearless female character.
Profile Image for S.A.McClelland S.A.McClelland.
Author 7 books9 followers
May 8, 2022
Pirates

A thrilling tale that has you on edge until the very end. What more could you want from a book with pirates?
Author 13 books13 followers
January 12, 2022
This is a great trip. Shelly has a great imagination and builds a world that I'd like to get lost in. She writes a story with no filler, no need to skip paragraphs. I'm hoping that there is going to be at least 12 books in this series. I want to see the protagonist grow to be a seasoned investigator with an arsenal of her special tricks (I dont want to give any spoilers.)

Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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