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Past Midnight #1.5
Raising the Dead
Charlotte Silver's world is like no one else's...
As the daughter of the famous Silver Spirits paranormal investigators, Charlotte Silver is used to all things weird. But when coffins start floating down her street during a flood, life turns extra strange. And wonderful, when her friend and crush Noah signs on to help Charlotte and her folks in the aftermath. Cemetery cleanup might not sound exciting, but as shocking discoveries and a lurking stranger come to light, Charlotte learns that sometimes, raising the dead can bring unexpected rewards.
84 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
35 people are currently reading
1188 people want to read
About the author
Mara Purnhagen
8 books275 followersMara Purnhagen has lived in Aurora, Illinois; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Dayton, Ohio and Duncan, South Carolina. She presently lives outside Cleveland, Ohio with her family and a very good cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
February 18, 2011
I really loved Past Midnight, so when I saw this being offered for free on Harlequin’s website, I snapped it up right away.
I just love the cover; it’s a lot prettier than the first book’s. There’s a sort of creepy, eerie mood, and if I saw coffins floating down my street, I sure as heck would be freaked out. This novella mostly revolved around the repercussions after the first book and how everyone around her is dealing with it.
To be honest, I didn’t really care for this installment. The writing wasn’t as carefully edited and the plot wasn’t as strong. It seemed to meander around in the first half and I never got that sense of suspense this sort of book should have. Furthermore, I think the real problem lies in the fact that the romantic subplot started to overtake the main plot and turned into some melodramatic gush of back and forth, he likes me, he doesn’t like me, mess.
I still love this series though. Thankfully, the second (real) book lives up to the first one.
I just love the cover; it’s a lot prettier than the first book’s. There’s a sort of creepy, eerie mood, and if I saw coffins floating down my street, I sure as heck would be freaked out. This novella mostly revolved around the repercussions after the first book and how everyone around her is dealing with it.
To be honest, I didn’t really care for this installment. The writing wasn’t as carefully edited and the plot wasn’t as strong. It seemed to meander around in the first half and I never got that sense of suspense this sort of book should have. Furthermore, I think the real problem lies in the fact that the romantic subplot started to overtake the main plot and turned into some melodramatic gush of back and forth, he likes me, he doesn’t like me, mess.
I still love this series though. Thankfully, the second (real) book lives up to the first one.
November 14, 2025
I got this book for free off of Amazon. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, so this was my first exposure. On the whole I liked this novella. The plot was interesting, and I like that it’s a fantasy book with only little touches of fantasy…BUT I have this thing with books, I like them to stay constant with plot and character throughout. I don’t like to have to flip back and confirm things, which sadly this book did in a big way.
We meet a man named William who owns the graveyard that has most of the action in this book. He apparently either lies about his personal past or somebody did a shoddy editing job.
Exhibit A
He [William] explained that his grandmother had started the book and passed the duty down to his mother. “And now it’s mine, but I haven’t had much to add. Military records, a few pictures of my grandchildren.”
Then when the main characters are talking about him after he got hurt they made off-hand comments about how they don’t think he has any family. Which is honestly excusable because he only told one person (our main character Charlotte) and why would she tell anyone? Until Charlotte goes to take care of William at home and he says this to her
Exhibit B
“You’ve been so kind to me,” he began. “My wife and I were never lucky enough to have children. But if I could choose a granddaughter…”
So William has grandkids, but never had kids of his own? How am I the only person to find this! It pissed me off so much I finished the rest of the book with a very critical eye, and while the rest of the story was good I was just too mad at the inconsistency to enjoy it. This is type of stuff that drives me mad!
We meet a man named William who owns the graveyard that has most of the action in this book. He apparently either lies about his personal past or somebody did a shoddy editing job.
Exhibit A
He [William] explained that his grandmother had started the book and passed the duty down to his mother. “And now it’s mine, but I haven’t had much to add. Military records, a few pictures of my grandchildren.”
Then when the main characters are talking about him after he got hurt they made off-hand comments about how they don’t think he has any family. Which is honestly excusable because he only told one person (our main character Charlotte) and why would she tell anyone? Until Charlotte goes to take care of William at home and he says this to her
Exhibit B
“You’ve been so kind to me,” he began. “My wife and I were never lucky enough to have children. But if I could choose a granddaughter…”
So William has grandkids, but never had kids of his own? How am I the only person to find this! It pissed me off so much I finished the rest of the book with a very critical eye, and while the rest of the story was good I was just too mad at the inconsistency to enjoy it. This is type of stuff that drives me mad!
February 2, 2011
Noted to be Book #1.5 in anticipation of the upcoming release of One Hundred Candles in 2 weeks, Raising the Dead is the newest installment of the Past Midnight series. The first novel introduced Charlotte Silver, a teen girl who just wants to be normal, not an easy feat when she is the daughter of semi-famous paranormal investigators. Raising the Dead begins soon after Past Midnight ends, in the midst of a torrential downpour. The story drew me in from the moment it started, the meat of the story beginning almost immediately. Purnhagen draws the reader in and doesn't let go of them, keeping them fully involved with the story to the end. Although this was a fairly short novella, the story was told in completion without any feeling that any part of the story was rushed. The author captures the voices of the different characters in her descriptions and dialogues and really allows you to feel as if you were a part of the story. Although short, there was absolutely nothing lacking in the writing or the plot and it was a perfect tie-in to the series. On another note, the cover art was truly stunning!
NOTE: I would definately recommend reading the first book before this one, as there are a lot of references that would be otherwise glossed over.
NOTE: I would definately recommend reading the first book before this one, as there are a lot of references that would be otherwise glossed over.
July 14, 2016
fast read
March 1, 2019
This book is 1.5 in the series. I find the sequencing rather strange for for a couple of reasons:
* Book 1 had concluded to full completion
* Half-sequencing is usually designated for plot continuations and spin-offs
* 1.5 reads as a stand-alone, (though there is a returning cast) the storyline is totally new.
The open-ending of 1.5 (presumably will pick-up in the next book?) only adds to the confusion. Makes more sense to me, to have skipped the 1.5 altogether, sequenced it as book 2 and brought the storyline to full completion. As is, I’d have to know how 1.5 ends to determine whether a) it was worth my time, b) whether I liked it.
* Book 1 had concluded to full completion
* Half-sequencing is usually designated for plot continuations and spin-offs
* 1.5 reads as a stand-alone, (though there is a returning cast) the storyline is totally new.
The open-ending of 1.5 (presumably will pick-up in the next book?) only adds to the confusion. Makes more sense to me, to have skipped the 1.5 altogether, sequenced it as book 2 and brought the storyline to full completion. As is, I’d have to know how 1.5 ends to determine whether a) it was worth my time, b) whether I liked it.
October 1, 2020
Pleased that my first read of October has ghosts in it. Not so pleased with this book. This is a Harlequin teen book? It's bland, and some romance gets shoehorned in every once in a while. Purnhagen does a good job of including important information from the first book, and--thank you!--Charlotte isn't whiny or annoying about her crush. Not really anything I care to read more of, though.
March 8, 2017
I don't see the relevance in this novella. It didn't seem important.
I mean, it was cool to spend more time with Noah and all them, but I don't see the whole point of this.
And how the story went wasn't that great either.
I mean, it was cool to spend more time with Noah and all them, but I don't see the whole point of this.
And how the story went wasn't that great either.
February 16, 2011
Raising the Dead is a novella of thirteen chapters that is set between the first book, Past Midnight, and the second book in the series, One Hundred Candles. It is great bonus adventure involving Charlotte Silver and her friends and family that takes place shortly after the first book ends, just before Halloween.
Due to severe rain storms in South Carolina a small cemetery is flooded and a number of coffins are disinterred. While her parents aid in helping with the identification of these remains from the Civil War era, Charlotte helps William, the owner of the land, set the cemetery to rights.
But when she notices on more than one occasion an elusive man in a black trench coat lurking around, Charlotte must figure out if he means no harm or if his intentions are more sinister.
Raising the Dead is a highly entertaining story and a perfect transitional novella between the two full-length books. The story gives further background on events that took place in Past Midnight and provides much more insight into and detail about Charlotte’s relationship with Noah.
This new mini-mystery is wrapped up by the end of the novella, but as with Past Midnight it comes to an end rather suddenly. Although not a cliffhanger, readers will be left wanting more.
On a personal note:
I was immensely entertained by this story. In many ways even more so than the first book. I loved that there was much more Noah in this story and the short mystery was such fun to piece together.
After reading this novella I am much more excited about reading the next book in the series, One Hundred Candles.
***
PLEASE NOTE: This novella contains major spoilers for those who haven’t read the first book in the series.
If you do not plan on reading Past Midnight, this novella will give you enough background to read the next book One Hundred Candles without getting lost.
If you do plan on reading the first book, wait to read this novella until after you’ve finished.
Due to severe rain storms in South Carolina a small cemetery is flooded and a number of coffins are disinterred. While her parents aid in helping with the identification of these remains from the Civil War era, Charlotte helps William, the owner of the land, set the cemetery to rights.
But when she notices on more than one occasion an elusive man in a black trench coat lurking around, Charlotte must figure out if he means no harm or if his intentions are more sinister.
Raising the Dead is a highly entertaining story and a perfect transitional novella between the two full-length books. The story gives further background on events that took place in Past Midnight and provides much more insight into and detail about Charlotte’s relationship with Noah.
This new mini-mystery is wrapped up by the end of the novella, but as with Past Midnight it comes to an end rather suddenly. Although not a cliffhanger, readers will be left wanting more.
On a personal note:
I was immensely entertained by this story. In many ways even more so than the first book. I loved that there was much more Noah in this story and the short mystery was such fun to piece together.
After reading this novella I am much more excited about reading the next book in the series, One Hundred Candles.
***
PLEASE NOTE: This novella contains major spoilers for those who haven’t read the first book in the series.
If you do not plan on reading Past Midnight, this novella will give you enough background to read the next book One Hundred Candles without getting lost.
If you do plan on reading the first book, wait to read this novella until after you’ve finished.
April 20, 2011
This is a short novella, 84 pages long e-book format, that I downloaded for free from Amazon.com. The story itself takes place between Past Midnight, and One Hundred Candles. I haven't read either of the other books as I'm waiting for the library to get off their broke butts and buy them, but this sounded interesting.
The story continues Charlotte Silver's story as the daughter of the famous Silver Spirits paranormal investigators as they work to fix a cemetery that ended up losing most of it's coffins to a terrible rain storm.
It takes place 3 weeks after the events of Past Midnight when Charlotte stepped into the afterlife and reunited a ghost with her family. For months Charlotte has seen a dead girl in her dreams. A ghost who also shares her namesake. Charlotte helped reunite the girl with her parents in the afterlife, but now she is rethinking whether or not it was actually real. Of course, there is a debate between her parents on the validity of the actual events as well.
It seems that after Charlottes experience in Charleston, she realizes that it's time to join the family business of paranormal investigations. Of course, her older sister encourages her to join in and find the answers to her questions. Then there is the whole who is the mystery man in the black coat, and why is he hanging around the cemetery.
To me, I find it interesting how many new authors have found South Carolina and it's elegance and history to be home of these types stories. This is no exception to that. You can't really call this a ghost story. It's more about Charlotte's family putting the cemetery back together and finding out that the caretaker William may have family afterall.
The story continues Charlotte Silver's story as the daughter of the famous Silver Spirits paranormal investigators as they work to fix a cemetery that ended up losing most of it's coffins to a terrible rain storm.
It takes place 3 weeks after the events of Past Midnight when Charlotte stepped into the afterlife and reunited a ghost with her family. For months Charlotte has seen a dead girl in her dreams. A ghost who also shares her namesake. Charlotte helped reunite the girl with her parents in the afterlife, but now she is rethinking whether or not it was actually real. Of course, there is a debate between her parents on the validity of the actual events as well.
It seems that after Charlottes experience in Charleston, she realizes that it's time to join the family business of paranormal investigations. Of course, her older sister encourages her to join in and find the answers to her questions. Then there is the whole who is the mystery man in the black coat, and why is he hanging around the cemetery.
To me, I find it interesting how many new authors have found South Carolina and it's elegance and history to be home of these types stories. This is no exception to that. You can't really call this a ghost story. It's more about Charlotte's family putting the cemetery back together and finding out that the caretaker William may have family afterall.
February 15, 2011
Well, because I absolutely loved the the first book in this series, I just had to read the novella that fits between the first and second Past Midnight books. :)
Several weeks after what happened in Past Midnight, Charlotte is helping her father during one of his lectures, only to find that when it's over, a huge storm has hit the town. So much rain falls that there are floods, and with those floods come roaming coffins. Of course, her parents are instantly drawn to the case. The strange thing is that for once, Charlotte is too. And after some advice from her sister, she decides to help them right what's happened.
Of course, the fact that she gets to spend time with her crush, Noah, is an added bonus. If only he would give her a hint about whether he feels the same way about her or not... either way, Charlotte is once again caught up in something strange and very creepy. As they help an old man who had no idea what he'd been guarding for so many years.
Wow, what an awesome novella. I loved it! I really like Charlotte, her family, friends, and this world she's trying to stay away from but just can't seem to shake. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the second book, which will hopefully arrive in a few weeks. :)
By the way, you can get yourself a free Kindle copy (but only if you're in the U.S.) or the free eBook copy from Harlequin (which is what I downloaded). :)
Several weeks after what happened in Past Midnight, Charlotte is helping her father during one of his lectures, only to find that when it's over, a huge storm has hit the town. So much rain falls that there are floods, and with those floods come roaming coffins. Of course, her parents are instantly drawn to the case. The strange thing is that for once, Charlotte is too. And after some advice from her sister, she decides to help them right what's happened.
Of course, the fact that she gets to spend time with her crush, Noah, is an added bonus. If only he would give her a hint about whether he feels the same way about her or not... either way, Charlotte is once again caught up in something strange and very creepy. As they help an old man who had no idea what he'd been guarding for so many years.
Wow, what an awesome novella. I loved it! I really like Charlotte, her family, friends, and this world she's trying to stay away from but just can't seem to shake. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the second book, which will hopefully arrive in a few weeks. :)
By the way, you can get yourself a free Kindle copy (but only if you're in the U.S.) or the free eBook copy from Harlequin (which is what I downloaded). :)
October 26, 2014
After Finishing Asylum by Madeline Roux I was still in the mood for a Horror read. I wanted something lighter though, and I recalled a series I started back in 2011 by Mara Purnhagen . Raising the Dead was the perfect short read.
With clever writing, a promising synopsis, and likeable characters this novella hit the spot. I enjoyed getting back into the world of the Paranormal Investigator family – The Silvers, and rekindling my love for a good paranormal story. Interwoven with the intrigue of floating coffins, platonic friendship, changing family dynamics, a haunting atmosphere and new friendships made the novella all the more worth recommending.
Yet again I was wrapped up in this compulsive read, that suited the thunderstorms outside with its eerie mystery, light dash of romantic drama, and thought provoking questions. I enjoyed reading about Charlotte’s experience with the Paranormal and her intelligent and available parents. [It is always refreshing to read about parents who add depth to the novel rather than a backdrop.
What I love about Mara’s writing is that she makes me think with each dynamic point of view through the journey through the book. Mara explores the questions through her characters – what is real, what is all in our heads? What is left after death, and if so how important is it that we pay attention or let it go.
I would say that you can read this as a novella on its own, as it gives enough back-story to catch you up with the plot, yet not enough to dismiss wanting to read the first book. If you enjoy reading books in order, pick up book one Past Midnight, if not; delve into this read.
★★★★.5
With clever writing, a promising synopsis, and likeable characters this novella hit the spot. I enjoyed getting back into the world of the Paranormal Investigator family – The Silvers, and rekindling my love for a good paranormal story. Interwoven with the intrigue of floating coffins, platonic friendship, changing family dynamics, a haunting atmosphere and new friendships made the novella all the more worth recommending.
Yet again I was wrapped up in this compulsive read, that suited the thunderstorms outside with its eerie mystery, light dash of romantic drama, and thought provoking questions. I enjoyed reading about Charlotte’s experience with the Paranormal and her intelligent and available parents. [It is always refreshing to read about parents who add depth to the novel rather than a backdrop.
What I love about Mara’s writing is that she makes me think with each dynamic point of view through the journey through the book. Mara explores the questions through her characters – what is real, what is all in our heads? What is left after death, and if so how important is it that we pay attention or let it go.
I would say that you can read this as a novella on its own, as it gives enough back-story to catch you up with the plot, yet not enough to dismiss wanting to read the first book. If you enjoy reading books in order, pick up book one Past Midnight, if not; delve into this read.
★★★★.5
June 19, 2011
If you loved Past Midnight, you should read this short novella. You’ll get to see more of your favorite characters dealing with paranormal activity, and I think this novella is geared more towards debunking paranormal activity, whereas Past Midnight and One Hundred Candles seem to deal more with asserting paranormal presence. I think that is a nice twist in the series; it clouds things for the reader a bit, and keeps us guessing. However, I really disliked the end of this novella. I feel like it wasn’t finished. The rest of the story was superb, but the ending was really lacking. It’s like this: the main issue finally comes to a head, but instead of explaining the whole story, only part is explained before other things happen within the novella, and the main issue is never revisited after that (I’m doing my best here to not give anything away). I had to read the last three chapters twice, and I’m still confused. I think it was forced and wrapped up too quickly; I have a lot of questions. I would like to see Purnhagen revisit the ending of this novella and really flesh it out, add a lot more detail and explanation to the ending (including finishing the explanation of the main issue), and perhaps even turn this novella into a full blown novel. I need someone to read this novella and give me some feedback about the ending. Perhaps I’m just misreading it? So, read it! ...
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
April 7, 2011
I may be in the minority on this, but I thought this story was almost stronger than book 2. Maybe it was finally getting a little more detail on what happened in Charleston in book 1. No, I still haven't read book 1 yet. Yes, I'm aware that if I read it I'd get all the answers to my questions. It's mostly a matter of time. I have a lot of books to read and only a finite amount of time to read them in. I could make the time I suppose but when I look at the massive pile of books that I already own that are waiting for me to read them I can't justify adding another book to that pile at this point.
My biggest issue with book 2 was that there was this great big thing that happened in book 1 that was hinted at but never really explained. I got my explanation here and it really helped and it gave the series a cohesiveness that was previously lacking for me.
Honestly, I really enjoy this series. I like the characters. I like the interactions between the characters. I like the idea behind what the Silvers do. I just had that little informational hump to get over before I felt like I was in complete understanding about what was going on. I'm over that hump now, guys. I'm over it and I'm loving life.
So, strong story that fits in nicely with the events to come in book 2. I will at some point in the future read book 1. I swear.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
My biggest issue with book 2 was that there was this great big thing that happened in book 1 that was hinted at but never really explained. I got my explanation here and it really helped and it gave the series a cohesiveness that was previously lacking for me.
Honestly, I really enjoy this series. I like the characters. I like the interactions between the characters. I like the idea behind what the Silvers do. I just had that little informational hump to get over before I felt like I was in complete understanding about what was going on. I'm over that hump now, guys. I'm over it and I'm loving life.
So, strong story that fits in nicely with the events to come in book 2. I will at some point in the future read book 1. I swear.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
February 22, 2011
I haven't read Past Midnight but when I saw the reviews for Raising the Dead I thought I'd give it a try since it was being offered for free on Harlequin’s website.
This was a really quick read, being a novella and all. It was really well written with all the aspects of a great ghost story. It starts out with a huge storm that floods the area and leaves several coffins uprooted from their graves. Charlotte joins her family to identify the remains of the coffin owners and bring them back to their resting place, but not everything is as easy as it sounds. Especially when there's a weird man hanging around the cemetery where the coffins were from.
I really like Charlotte as a character. She was a fun, happy girl who really cared about others. She's a little disturbed though that she thought she saw a ghost. Now she wants to figure out what it all means.
The one problem I had with this book is that I don't feel like I got the whole story. It felt a little rushed and the characters were not really well developed. I wanted more out of it, but what can I expect with it being 84 pages and all.
This was a good novella, fast to read and hard to put down.
www.gardenofbooks.blogspot.com
This was a really quick read, being a novella and all. It was really well written with all the aspects of a great ghost story. It starts out with a huge storm that floods the area and leaves several coffins uprooted from their graves. Charlotte joins her family to identify the remains of the coffin owners and bring them back to their resting place, but not everything is as easy as it sounds. Especially when there's a weird man hanging around the cemetery where the coffins were from.
I really like Charlotte as a character. She was a fun, happy girl who really cared about others. She's a little disturbed though that she thought she saw a ghost. Now she wants to figure out what it all means.
The one problem I had with this book is that I don't feel like I got the whole story. It felt a little rushed and the characters were not really well developed. I wanted more out of it, but what can I expect with it being 84 pages and all.
This was a good novella, fast to read and hard to put down.
www.gardenofbooks.blogspot.com
July 18, 2011
Raising the Dead by Mara Purnhagen
My Summary:
Charlotte is still in the same house and school, which is saying something. Her parents have decided to hang around the same place for a few years and she is happy to have friends and consistency. That is until the rain causes flooding that leaves coffins floating around the city. When her parents get involved in the job of restoring the coffins to a civil war age cemetery, the paranormal energy is sure to follow.
My Thoughts:
3 stars – a good read
This story continues with familiar characters from book one, Past Midnight. I was happy to see that both Jared and Noah had a bigger role to play in this story. I was disappointed that Noah seems to have no interest in Charlotte. It’s interesting that Jared and Avery have started some kind of relationship, whether that’s just the mutual support after a great lose or more, I can’t tell yet. This novella felt so much like just a couple of extra chapters that got cut from either the end of book one or the beginning of book two. I hope that book two uses this story somehow otherwise it will be just so incomplete to me. I really enjoyed Past Midnight and I’m looking forward to One Hundred Candles but this one fell kind of flat.
My Summary:
Charlotte is still in the same house and school, which is saying something. Her parents have decided to hang around the same place for a few years and she is happy to have friends and consistency. That is until the rain causes flooding that leaves coffins floating around the city. When her parents get involved in the job of restoring the coffins to a civil war age cemetery, the paranormal energy is sure to follow.
My Thoughts:
3 stars – a good read
This story continues with familiar characters from book one, Past Midnight. I was happy to see that both Jared and Noah had a bigger role to play in this story. I was disappointed that Noah seems to have no interest in Charlotte. It’s interesting that Jared and Avery have started some kind of relationship, whether that’s just the mutual support after a great lose or more, I can’t tell yet. This novella felt so much like just a couple of extra chapters that got cut from either the end of book one or the beginning of book two. I hope that book two uses this story somehow otherwise it will be just so incomplete to me. I really enjoyed Past Midnight and I’m looking forward to One Hundred Candles but this one fell kind of flat.
February 1, 2016
This is the second in a series of books about Charlotte Silver who is 17. Her parents are experts in investigating alleged paranormal phenomenon and she is her father's assistant on his lectures.
Noah is a guy that she likes.
In the first book, Charlotte had contacted a dead girl from the past. At the present, a terrible storm causes so much water to fall that some coffins from an old cemetery get carried away by the water. The coffins were from the Civil War era.
Normally that would not be that much of a problem, but her parents investigate and it turns out the coffins have false bottoms and contain materials from the Civil War. Complicating things is an attack on the guy whose house bordered on the cemetery which might possibly be an actual ghoul.
Further messing up matters is a local museum that think it's their divine right to lay claim to anything dug up from the ground and they think all the artifacts that are uncovered belong to them when, if anything, they belong to the guy whose house bordered the cemetery and whose ancestors were the ones buried that.
It's a good book, although I would have liked to have seen some more on the artifacts uncovered, especially the documents.
Noah is a guy that she likes.
In the first book, Charlotte had contacted a dead girl from the past. At the present, a terrible storm causes so much water to fall that some coffins from an old cemetery get carried away by the water. The coffins were from the Civil War era.
Normally that would not be that much of a problem, but her parents investigate and it turns out the coffins have false bottoms and contain materials from the Civil War. Complicating things is an attack on the guy whose house bordered on the cemetery which might possibly be an actual ghoul.
Further messing up matters is a local museum that think it's their divine right to lay claim to anything dug up from the ground and they think all the artifacts that are uncovered belong to them when, if anything, they belong to the guy whose house bordered the cemetery and whose ancestors were the ones buried that.
It's a good book, although I would have liked to have seen some more on the artifacts uncovered, especially the documents.
February 23, 2011
3.5 stars. Charlotte Silver and the Silver Spirits group are at it again. In the bridging novella, a hurricane hits the coast of South Carolina and everyone feels the aftermath--especially when coffins float through the streets. Charlotte, her family and their friends are, of course, more than happy to help clean up. Soon the coffins tell their own story. But who is the man who seems dead-set on hiding the real truth behind those wooden boxes?
I happened to see this book on Amazon's Free Books List and immediately downloaded it to my Kindle, thinking maybe there was a lot of important information to add between books one and two. I still don't see what that information is. While I do love these books, I felt this one was unnecessary. The book constantly recounted the events that played out in book one, and the only details added to heighten the story was the relationship between Noah (Charlotte's crush) and Charlotte. Don't get me wrong--this book is still a great read, and if you plan on reading the series, you might as well read this one.
I happened to see this book on Amazon's Free Books List and immediately downloaded it to my Kindle, thinking maybe there was a lot of important information to add between books one and two. I still don't see what that information is. While I do love these books, I felt this one was unnecessary. The book constantly recounted the events that played out in book one, and the only details added to heighten the story was the relationship between Noah (Charlotte's crush) and Charlotte. Don't get me wrong--this book is still a great read, and if you plan on reading the series, you might as well read this one.
April 22, 2011
Rasing the Dead continues the story of Charlotte Silver.
While the story in Raising the Dead reads okay there have been some grammatical errors as well as inconsistencies.
More than once there was a word missing or sentences were awkwardly structured. What was most off-putting about the short story was that it says in one of the first chapters that William has pictures of his grandchildren in the family photo album. A few chapters later he tells Charlotte that if he ever had grandchildren he would pick her.
That makes no sense. Either he has grandchildren or he doesn't. An error like this should not happen, especially not in a book as short as Raising the Dead.
Another thing that bothered me was Charlotte's sudden obsession with Noah. Where did it come from? I know they are friends and they went to prom but it still felt like it came from zero to this.
And why was a complete rehash of the last novel needed? Especially Charlotte repeating three times about her experience with the dead. Once, alright but why was it needed three times?
While the story in Raising the Dead reads okay there have been some grammatical errors as well as inconsistencies.
More than once there was a word missing or sentences were awkwardly structured. What was most off-putting about the short story was that it says in one of the first chapters that William has pictures of his grandchildren in the family photo album. A few chapters later he tells Charlotte that if he ever had grandchildren he would pick her.
That makes no sense. Either he has grandchildren or he doesn't. An error like this should not happen, especially not in a book as short as Raising the Dead.
Another thing that bothered me was Charlotte's sudden obsession with Noah. Where did it come from? I know they are friends and they went to prom but it still felt like it came from zero to this.
And why was a complete rehash of the last novel needed? Especially Charlotte repeating three times about her experience with the dead. Once, alright but why was it needed three times?
July 19, 2011
Oh, man, this author got me on this one. It's #1.5 of a series. Now I'm hooked. That's what authors/publishers/Amazon do with these free Kindle downloads. Suck us in. LOL
I haven't read any YA that is so prolific these days. I'll admit, it's been a long, long time since I was a YA. But I know there is a lot of good reading out there so when I saw this YA/Paranormal I thought I'd check it out.
Charlotte, 17, is the daughter of paranormal investigators. Her father is in it to debunk everything. Her mother has a more open mind. Which is good because Charlotte thinks she had an intense paranormal experience (in the first book of the series, I guess).
This novella #1.5 mentions that and a new experience that Charlotte may be going through but left me hanging. I assume the finale of this novella is in the second book of the series.
That's a little low. Okay, I realize you want me to read your series. But trust your writing enough to make me want to read more. Don't force me to find the end of a story in another book that I must pay for. Cold.
I haven't read any YA that is so prolific these days. I'll admit, it's been a long, long time since I was a YA. But I know there is a lot of good reading out there so when I saw this YA/Paranormal I thought I'd check it out.
Charlotte, 17, is the daughter of paranormal investigators. Her father is in it to debunk everything. Her mother has a more open mind. Which is good because Charlotte thinks she had an intense paranormal experience (in the first book of the series, I guess).
This novella #1.5 mentions that and a new experience that Charlotte may be going through but left me hanging. I assume the finale of this novella is in the second book of the series.
That's a little low. Okay, I realize you want me to read your series. But trust your writing enough to make me want to read more. Don't force me to find the end of a story in another book that I must pay for. Cold.
October 17, 2011
This started out as a neat story about a family of paranormal investigators. When a storm washes a couple dozen coffins out of an old family cemetary, the Silvers become involved in investigating the coffins to figure out who's who and return them to their proper place in the cemetary.
Neat premise, well-written throughout.
Here's my problem. The end is so mild it could have been in a Pooh Bear picture book. The author gets us all set up for some really rousing horror, chases, maybe even a murder or two, then it falls flat on its face at the end. Almost literally (and I know how to use the word literally) nothing happens to live up to the very interesting build up.
If this is supposed to be a series, then it commits the most horrendous of series' crimes: Failure to deliver.
Addendum: I see this is a second book in the series. I will give it good marks in starting out with sufficient back information that I didn't feel like I missed much from the first book. However, I don't think I should have to read the 3rd book to find out what happens at the end of the second.
Neat premise, well-written throughout.
Here's my problem. The end is so mild it could have been in a Pooh Bear picture book. The author gets us all set up for some really rousing horror, chases, maybe even a murder or two, then it falls flat on its face at the end. Almost literally (and I know how to use the word literally) nothing happens to live up to the very interesting build up.
If this is supposed to be a series, then it commits the most horrendous of series' crimes: Failure to deliver.
Addendum: I see this is a second book in the series. I will give it good marks in starting out with sufficient back information that I didn't feel like I missed much from the first book. However, I don't think I should have to read the 3rd book to find out what happens at the end of the second.
March 15, 2011
Mara Purnhagen's short novella, Raising the Dead takes place after Past Midnight and it was a quick read. Managed to get it done early this morning before moving on to a full length novel. So this will be a quick review.
The cover description tells the story simply enough, and beforehand I didn't really read it, so I just went in blind to the story and for a short one it had impeccable pacing. Things moved quickly and a mystery developed that was quite intriguing. I didn't really see the ending coming mostly because it was short and I didn't have enough time to develop theories besides going with the obvious. Charlotte still deals with some of the same problems as before, but she's happy for once with her friends and family.
Can't really get much more into it since, again, it was a short story. Looking forward to One Hundred Candles!
Overall rating: 4/5 stars
You can read this story for FREE with Amazon!
The cover description tells the story simply enough, and beforehand I didn't really read it, so I just went in blind to the story and for a short one it had impeccable pacing. Things moved quickly and a mystery developed that was quite intriguing. I didn't really see the ending coming mostly because it was short and I didn't have enough time to develop theories besides going with the obvious. Charlotte still deals with some of the same problems as before, but she's happy for once with her friends and family.
Can't really get much more into it since, again, it was a short story. Looking forward to One Hundred Candles!
Overall rating: 4/5 stars
You can read this story for FREE with Amazon!
November 18, 2011
Review found here: http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.c...
In this short story, the town Charlotte now lives in is experiencing a storm sooo bad that there is a flood. But the weird thing is that coffins start to float down the street during the flood…pretty creepy, eh? lol. Anyway, charlotte and her family (and her crush Noah) volunteer to help clean up the mess of coffins all over town. But they soon discover that these are no normal coffins. No, these coffins hide secrets, secrets that could potentially put charlotte and her friends in danger.
Even though it was short, I really liked this story! I just started reading this series and I really like it! Even though no one has any supernatural abilities to see ghosts, ghosts are a big part of the series. I really like that…it makes the series unique :) and I do love a good ghost story ;) Oh, the beautiful cover is a plus!
In this short story, the town Charlotte now lives in is experiencing a storm sooo bad that there is a flood. But the weird thing is that coffins start to float down the street during the flood…pretty creepy, eh? lol. Anyway, charlotte and her family (and her crush Noah) volunteer to help clean up the mess of coffins all over town. But they soon discover that these are no normal coffins. No, these coffins hide secrets, secrets that could potentially put charlotte and her friends in danger.
Even though it was short, I really liked this story! I just started reading this series and I really like it! Even though no one has any supernatural abilities to see ghosts, ghosts are a big part of the series. I really like that…it makes the series unique :) and I do love a good ghost story ;) Oh, the beautiful cover is a plus!
May 7, 2011
I got this book free from amazon and didn't realize it was only a short story based after the first book in the series. I was a little confused by the Charleston incident, but i eventually figured out the basics with the info provided. The story was good, well written and it kept me entertained...that is until the end. It just seemed to get wrapped up so nice and neat and quick that I was left feeling unfulfilled. Of course it is a short story, but I just wanted the ending to have maybe a little more action or for the quintessential bad dude to actually be a bad dude. I will be ready the first in the series bc I did like the characters a lot and I want to read more about them. I loved the ghost hunting family concept.
So, it was a fun little story, fell at the ending a little for me, but it didn't take away from the story or make me not want to read more.
So, it was a fun little story, fell at the ending a little for me, but it didn't take away from the story or make me not want to read more.
March 29, 2012
Mara Purnhagen, Raising the Dead (Harlequin, 2011)
Purnhagen follows up Past Midnight with this novella, meant to bridge the gap between that and the second full-length in the trilogy, One Hundred Candles (which technically makes this the second entry in the Past Midnight series). I enjoyed Past Midnight a bunch (cf. review 1Nov10), but in some ways I liked this even better; it's shorter, a bit more focused on the actual mystery (who's the stranger hanging around an old family cemetery that was partially washed away during a hurricane?) while still providing backstory and letting us get to know the gang from Past Midnight better. And while the climax feels ambiguous, Purnhagen offers enough clues in the way she words things to let you know what's what. Good stuff, this, and strengthens my resove to read the rest of the series. ****
Purnhagen follows up Past Midnight with this novella, meant to bridge the gap between that and the second full-length in the trilogy, One Hundred Candles (which technically makes this the second entry in the Past Midnight series). I enjoyed Past Midnight a bunch (cf. review 1Nov10), but in some ways I liked this even better; it's shorter, a bit more focused on the actual mystery (who's the stranger hanging around an old family cemetery that was partially washed away during a hurricane?) while still providing backstory and letting us get to know the gang from Past Midnight better. And while the climax feels ambiguous, Purnhagen offers enough clues in the way she words things to let you know what's what. Good stuff, this, and strengthens my resove to read the rest of the series. ****
May 6, 2013
For being a short novella, this book was surprisingly good. It was definitely meant for young teenagers, and if you keep that in mind, you will appreciate it a little bit more. The ending could have been better. I didn't feel it was rushed so much as I was disappointed in the actual outcome itself. It was like the whole book was suspenseful and then the very end was just blah. It reminded me of an episode of Scooby Doo. Everything seemed scary most of the way through, but the end it turned out nothing was really scary at all. I guess with this being about a family of paranormal investigators, I was expecting something paranormal to happen. But, if you look at it from a young teen point of view, it was actually well written, fast, and decent to read. I just marked it down because of the dull ending.
February 18, 2011
Sometimes I don't know what to expect with novellas...since they are free after all! (Grab your free e-book here: http://bit.ly/fgYuqp). However, you can tell the editorial was not spared and this is truly a great read.
The books opens with Charlotte Silver attending one of her dad's lectures on the state of paranormal, while outside, a heavy thunderstorm parades. Once they are driving home, Mara Purnhagen provides the reader with a treat for the imagination: Imagine...caskets floating down a completely flooded street. One after another, as if marching to the thunder.
But I won't give anymore away, since this is where the mystery begins. Just go read it yourself before the e-book is no longer free!
The books opens with Charlotte Silver attending one of her dad's lectures on the state of paranormal, while outside, a heavy thunderstorm parades. Once they are driving home, Mara Purnhagen provides the reader with a treat for the imagination: Imagine...caskets floating down a completely flooded street. One after another, as if marching to the thunder.
But I won't give anymore away, since this is where the mystery begins. Just go read it yourself before the e-book is no longer free!
February 22, 2011
This was a quick read for me, finishing it in only 2 hours. It caught my attention right away and drew me into the story and the characters. The author has a great writing style and kept me on edge through the book. That being said, the unresolved ending really bothered me. There were several key elements of the story that were left unanswered and the elements that were (vaguely) answered were very simple and seemed almost like an afterthought, offering no real resolution. Even being a part of a series, I feel like the author could have sent the reader away a little more satisfied. If the intention was to draw the reader to the next book, I think it had the opposite effect on me. I would rather not invest my time in another book that (to me) feels unfinished.
April 15, 2011
This is a novella that takes place between 'Past Midnight' and 'One Hundred Candles' ... I would have liked to have read it in between those two, as opposed to after 'One Hundred Candles', but I still found it entertaining. I guess because this is a novella that belongs to a series it can't really give you any big plot point or revelation of importance, so that was a bit disappointing. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this story about Charlotte and her family and friends, especially the historical aspect of it. It's well worth a read, though there is an inconsistency in the story that annoyed me, and it doesn't quite have the same mysterious vibe that the full length novels do.
March 18, 2011
I downloaded this book for free to my kindle. It is a young adult/teen paranormal book. I enjoyed the story and would like to read more in this series. The events in this book take place after the events in book 1, and although they reference what happened, it is not necessary to read the first book in order to enjoy this one. This is more of a novella. I thought the book was great, right up until the very end. In the last couple chapters it felt like everything was resolved too easily, and was a little anti climatic. But overall it was an entertaining read. There was some fledgling teen romance added to the story, just one character crushing on the other.
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