#6 Rowan Gant Investigation, in which the dominatrix Mistress Miranda makes her first appearance. In this book, it's Rowan's wife Felicity who is vulnerable to negative energies/spirits as she begins channeling the spirit of Miranda, with her personality and even her soft Irish lilt changing to Miranda's southern accent. Rowan is troubled, wondering whether the body of his wife in possession of Miranda is the one who brutally murdered her sex slaves or if she is just soaking up those energies enough to change her from the loving wife he knows to a prickly, domineering sex kitten that he doesn't.
It's always a pleasure to read books that treat the Pagan/Wiccan paths as real and valid and not necessarily 'paranormal' although I have to say in these most recent books, it does seem a bit over the top--which the author admits himself. There's little of the charm of the first few books with the details of Pagan beliefs & celebrations, assisting friends from their coven, etc. This is mostly just running from one problem to the next, Rowan with his headaches and Felicity getting weirder as Miranda takes over her personality.
I'm gong to keep reading, as I have the next three books in the series here, but this has ceased to become one of my favorites. I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but I prefer a book/series with a little more substance and a little less gratuitous sax & violins. :) I've also come to dislike books that end on a cliffhanger where you have to read on to the next book to know what happens. Progression in a series is fine, but each book should have a story that wraps up at the end too.
It's always a pleasure to read books that treat the Pagan/Wiccan paths as real and valid and not necessarily 'paranormal' although I have to say in these most recent books, it does seem a bit over the top--which the author admits himself. There's little of the charm of the first few books with the details of Pagan beliefs & celebrations, assisting friends from their coven, etc. This is mostly just running from one problem to the next, Rowan with his headaches and Felicity getting weirder as Miranda takes over her personality.
I'm gong to keep reading, as I have the next three books in the series here, but this has ceased to become one of my favorites. I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but I prefer a book/series with a little more substance and a little less gratuitous sax & violins. :) I've also come to dislike books that end on a cliffhanger where you have to read on to the next book to know what happens. Progression in a series is fine, but each book should have a story that wraps up at the end too.
M. R. Sellars does his homework. He has developed his characters well, giving them presence. He makes them look like they know their jobs by doing the research. Sellars has done excellent research on police procedures, medical practices, crime scene investigations, various life styles and spiritual beliefs that make each of these novels a treat for the reader who wants authenticity in their reading as well as something very different. His style of writing leaves no clue unturned, no matter how grizzly. And he works his clues in with the expertise of a brick layer building a foundation that will stand up to inspection and a bit of hard banging. There are no "lose ends" or "surprise elements" to throw off the reader here. The story is out in the open and expertly woven. Images carve deep into your imagination as you follow the story and unravel the details.
The book holds your interest, it peaks your curiosity, and perches you on the edge of your chair as you flip each page eating up the story, the characters and the plots. And you will have about a year (hopefully less) to muddle over the clues, wonder about how our heroes will work their way out of the messes they have gotten themselves into and to speculate on the murderer and what drives a person to that kind of sick, twisted - well, you get the idea. No spoiler here, you have to read it for yourself.
The book holds your interest, it peaks your curiosity, and perches you on the edge of your chair as you flip each page eating up the story, the characters and the plots. And you will have about a year (hopefully less) to muddle over the clues, wonder about how our heroes will work their way out of the messes they have gotten themselves into and to speculate on the murderer and what drives a person to that kind of sick, twisted - well, you get the idea. No spoiler here, you have to read it for yourself.
