Is there a murderous poltergeist on the loose?When an Oxford caretaker is killed by a fall down the library stairs, and a professor attacked, rumors fly that it’s the work of a poltergeist who’s been causing havoc at the college.The prof is a knitter, and a customer at Lucy Swift’s shop, Cardinal Woolsey’s. But Lucy thinks a very human killer is shifting the blame onto a ghost who can’t defend … blame onto a ghost who can’t defend themselves and she’s determined to trap the real killer and get justice for the dead man.
However, danger lurks at the college where old secrets and new crimes collide. Vampire and old book expert Rafe Crosyer has been called in to value the college’s literary collection, and he witnesses first hand how angry the ghost really is.
Furious enough to kill? Or is there something else the tantrum-throwing spirit is trying to tell them?
And will they decipher the message before it’s too late?
This is book 9 in the best-selling Vampire Knitting Club series of paranormal cozy mysteries. Each book can be read on its own and there’s no gore, bad language or sex in these books, just a lot of humor, quirky characters and, of course, Oxford. “This series just gets better and better.”
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Love this series!
Each time the next book comes out in this series I have to put down whatever I’m reading and read this one. They just keep getting better! We have the gang all helping out but most of the action is happening at the college. Rafe is trying to value the colleges collection of rare books and manuscripts. In the mean time, the caretaker dies from a tumble down a flight of stairs and another professor is injured on the same night. The same flight of stairs that cost the life of a former principal 10 years before. It is the resident ghost causing all the problems? And what of the missing manuscripts that would be worth a fortune? So much going on!!
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
Another terrific addition for this wonderful series of the Vampire Knitting Club with Lucy in the midst of paranormal activity as is her norm. With protection from her “family” of vampires and of witches, Lucy faces deadly betrayal from an unexpected source.
It was my pleasure to receive this ARC and give my honest review.
I adore this series, and Popcorn and Poltergeists is one of my favorites because much of it takes place in a library. If you ask me, there’s something creepy about old libraries.
Warren writes tightly-plotted, paranormal, cozy mysteries filled with the drama of the everyday life of a witch who runs a knitting shop above a cellar of vampires, the lighthearted comedy of the situations that ensue, and the intrigue of local murder investigations.
Lucy, the main character, is a witch in training who can’t knit a stitch but is learning how to fly a broom. Nyx her black cat familiar is gorgeous, and her vampire boyfriend, Rafe, isn’t hard on the eyes either. They may be supernatural, but they are written so well, that they are believable, and they feel like your neighbors who live just around the corner.
I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy witch cozies, and paranormal women’s fiction.
Better watch your step
This author knows how to do a cozy mystery so well. This is my first time reading a book from this series, so I felt like I was missing more then a little of the background story, but that was quickly forgotten as the excitement of the book started to grow. I love the depth the author puts into each character and I love the subtle hints of romance. This author adds just enough mystery and intrigue into her books that you find yourself feeling like a real part of the action. I can’t wait to read the author’s next book, but in the meantime I will be going back and reading the first 8 from this series.
Popcorn and Poltergeists is the latest book in the wonderful Vampire Knitting Club series. Lucy is once again drawn into a mystery when a regular at Cardinal Woolsley’s is attacked at the university. This book can be read as a stand-alone as well as part of a series. All the fantastic regular characters are in this book as well as some interesting new ones and all add to the delightful quirkiness that are at the heart of these books. This is my favourite book in this series so far. If you like a great cozy mystery with charm and a touch of humour then this is the book, and series, for you. I thoroughly enjoyed Popcorn and Poltergeists and definitely recommend it.
When the Baking Show Series came out, I feared that the Vampire Knitting Club had been completed as is. So I was thrilled to see book 9 in the series, Popcorn and Poltergeists released. There have been several series that I consider my favorites by Nancy Warren with this one being at the top.
Once again this is a murder mystery to be solved with a ghost being blamed. While the murder did not happen near Lucy or at the shop, the dead was a frequent customer of Lucy’s shop. All are on the case to help find the real killer. Marvelous addition to the series. I savor any scene that has both Lucy and Rafe. They are delicious together. I also realize that if their romance becomes too much the focus, the book would change from cozy mystery to paranormal romance. Still I enjoy each and every time these two wind up alone together.
Not sure that this book doesn’t need the background from the previous books. Certainly having read them all, the enjoyment of this one is enhanced. Each book is different but wonderful so don’t pick or choose, read all.
The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
POPCORN AND POLTERGEISTS is a standalone read with a very good ending. There are no sex scenes even though there is a touch of romance. Lucy, an American, inherited a wool/knitting shop in Oxford, England. Lucy is a witch. She had no idea until she showed up to take over the shop. Lucy’s gran died and then Lucy sees her walking down the street with a friend. Gran had been changed as she lay dying. She is now with friends in a nest of vampires right below the shop that Lucy now owns.
It is not long before all these vampires become Lucy’s second family. Rafe is the oldest at 500 years but he is still a gorgeous hunk. Rafe is very protective of Lucy and has just started making his move. This is a great couple!! Lucy is still quite young so don’t know how this is going to work out.
Every book Lucy has a new murder to solve. Lots of times the story takes you back in time to be solved. There is also an element of danger for Lucy but Rafe is always there. These are fun, filled with mystery and a touch of romance. Great reads. If you haven’t read any of the books, you will not feel lost. They are all great reads. I highly recommend all of the books.
I was not paid for this review. I am not a writer nor do I know one. I am not kin to this author. I am a reader and this is my opinion, nothing more, nothing less. 2/13/2020.
I enjoy this series and look forward to each book. The characters are fun and because I am a knitter, I love that yarn and knitting makes its way into the stories.
“…I felt better able to confront the poltergeist when I went back. I imagined most people who had an encounter with the scary force never went back for more. I was going to let this spirit know I wasn’t going anywhere until I had some answers.”
Lucy and the Vampire Knitting Club are at it again, and this time, it’s less focused on the shop, and more on the community at large as there has been a mystery involving missing manuscripts that no one has been able to solve for enough years that the library that housed them at St. Mary’s College is reputed to be haunted. Poltergeists and vampires don’t get along so well, so Lucy volunteers to become the “lead investigator” despite her communities’ fears that she is in danger, under the guise of Rafe’s assistant investigating historical handicraft manuscripts.
Is Lucy in danger? Will the help St Mary’s? Is it really a ghost or is that a rumor perpetuated to hide theft. This is a fascinating story that stretches Lucy’s abilities as she grows into her powers as a witch and her confidence as Rafe’s “friend” and William’s confidant, as well as deference to her skill in both the witch and vampire communities.
Lucy is definitely stepping into her own and it’s a lovely thing to see. Nancy Warren has taught me many things in 9 books, including how wonderfully she does her own homework. With a(n) historical focus on Charlotte Bronte [one of my favorite authors of all time] she brings us smack dab into old books and their importance in new scholarship. I continue to call this one of my favorite series. Highly Recommended 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book from the author as a gift and voluntarily chose to read and review it]
Book 9 in the Vampire Knitting Club. It can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the other books in the series, but had no problem following the story and all the characters.
I really enjoyed the book. The fact that Lucy who runs a knitting shop can’t knit to save her life, made me laugh and I loved the idea of all the knitting vampires.
The murder mystery was well put together and I enjoyed following Lucy and Rafe into solving the crime.
It was a wonderful and funny story.
Love this series, this addition is another well blended mystery, with humorous moments and a taste of romance. Rafe is so sweet and so supportive and protective of Lucy. The old library and its ghostly adventures are so well described that I could see it. Lucy may not be Sherlock Holmes but she’s courageous and gives her sleuthing 100% of herself regardless of the possibility of it being risky to her well being. Spellbinding and animating. I received a free advance copy without obligation and am voluntarily reviewing.
Lucy Swift returns in book 9 of the Vampire Knitting Club. A poltergeist is haunting the local college library. Then the janitor is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, the same place where 10 years ago the former principal of the college was found dead. In addition, a current professor is found injured. Join Lucy and Rafe in searching for the murderer and 2 missing rare books.
I love this series. It has great characters and the solution is always just beyond my reach.
Another great book from Nancy Warren.I really enjoy this series. It’s lighthearted and makes you laugh. Wonderful charaand plot of the story. Finding out who was the killer was unexpected.
As with the first 8 in this series I am enjoying Lucy and the Vampires as they figure out how to solve the murder. It was nice that Hester added some color to her wardrobe this book. I can’t wait to see if Hester continues to bloom. I can’t wait to start the next book.
Book source ~ Kindle Unlimited
Lucy Swift is getting very good at running her undead grandmother’s knitting shop in Oxford. Cardinal Woolsey’s is running smoothly and the vampire knitting circle is producing hand-knitted items at an incredible rate. Well, they are vampires after all so they knit very fast. The classes Lucy has set up are also taking off and she has a sneaking suspicion her newly undead grandmother is thinking of opening a new knitting shop somewhere far enough away that she won’t be recognized by former customers. Lucy’s not quite ready to let her grandmother go though, but she knows she’ll have to do it soon. Which is why she’s trying to up her studying of all things witchy. Oh, didn’t I mention that part? Lucy is also a witch. And so was her grandmother. Now that she’s got a handle on running the store, she needs her gran’s help with the witchy things. And then there’s the occasional murder to solve. Yep. I said it. Murder. And let’s not mention her love life. Who am I kidding? Let’s!
Rafe Crosyer is a very old vampire and the unofficial leader of the group in Oxford. He’s been there so long that he needs to think about moving on soon. But Lucy just got there and she’s not ready to move again. Plus, while Rafe is yummy and protective and smart and all that good stuff, he’s also a vampire. Who won’t age while she will. Dilemma! Of course, there’s Inspector Ian, but Lucy seems to have written off the good officer. Well, pooh. In any case, I’m looking forward to seeing where Rafe and Lucy’s relationship heads.
Now, to the murder…it’s an interesting one. There’s a poltergeist in St. Mary’s College library! And with someone dead, Lucy and the vampires think that maybe the poltergeist had something to do with it. In any case, Lucy wants to figure out why the poltergeist is there and how to move it along before someone else gets hurt. Or worse.
I love this series of cozy mysteries with vampires and witches and love and humor. This particular one seems to better put together than the previous ones though I love them all. It flows easily and while I had my suspicions about the killer it still kept me guessing until the end. The addition of the poltergeist is a nice touch and I like how Lucy is finally taking her witchy abilities seriously. I hope there are many more books in this series.
Something a little different! Great book! Love the whole series and look forward to Lucy’s next adventure.
Though I came to this series a bit late (and am reading them completely out of order), this is absolutely the most unique, most enjoyable vampire series that I’ve ever read! So easy to get in to! So well written and thoroughly, thoughtfully plotted!
Lucy and her crew are amazing! Rich and deep and each contributes their own special panache to the flow and depth of the mystery. The mystery is well-plotted, engaging, flows seamlessly and has its fair share of surprises. Warren is completely magical in her character creation and plotting!
Absolutely addictive! Nancy Warren has quickly become one of my favorite authors! I can’t recommend this series highly enough!
Popcorn and Poltergeists by Nancy Warren
The Vampire Knitting Club Series Book Nine
Lucy Swift once again falls into a murder investigation. With Rafe, her ever-faithful vampire protector at her side, of course.
After a murder at St. Mary’s College, Lucy tags along with Rafe assuming it’s one of her knitting students who was murdered. Detective Inspector Ian Chisholm, whom Lucy dated a few times, is never happy to see her. They seem to keep bumping into each other over dead bodies.
Under the guise of Lucy being Rafe’s assistant to look over some old books at the college library…they try to uncover some missing manuscripts, clear the name of the previous…dead…principal, and find out more about the poltergeist who continually scares the students out of using the library. Full of humor, as always. I really enjoy this series.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2014/01/nancy-warren-book-list.html
I really enjoyed all the books I’ve read in this series so far. The whole concept of a vampire knitting club cracks me up, but Nancy Warren makes it work. I like that Lucy doesn’t back away from solving problems even if there’s some danger involved. The vampires are all so different and interesting, as are the other characters in the books, and the interactions between them is fun to watch. The story has a few twists but I was totally surprised by the ending. I had to force myself to go to bed and not stay up all night reading.
I received an advance copy of the book and this is my honest review.
I will start this by saying I have not read any of the other books in the series. I was kinda going in blind but wanting to just give it a chance. Sadly, I just could not get into this story. Not being familiar with the characters or their history had me feeling lost. I’ve read other stories by this author that i liked, but this one just didn’t do it for me. Maybe I will go back and check out book 1 and work my way back to this one and it will be better.