A psychic has been murdered in an occult ceremony and the police pay a visit to Riga Hayworth, metaphysical detective. But this time, she’s not a consultant on the case, she’s a suspect.
There’s a storm on the horizon. Riga’s lost her magic and has come to Lake Tahoe to recover and spend quality time with her new love. But life for Riga is never that simple. A psychic’s been murdered, and the … the police believe Riga has a connection to the crime. They’re right. And if that’s not enough, Riga is drafted as the host of a reality TV show about the local lake monster, and her niece is rejecting her metaphysical abilities. Juggling demons, daimons, and angry tarot card readers, Riga must catch a killer before she becomes the next target.
The Alchemical Detective is a paranormal mystery that explores a world of alchemy and the imagination.
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I picked this book as a fill in between books in another series. I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading and could not stop. An excellent read.
Great storyline! If you like a bit of humor with your paranormal mystery, then this is your book!
Up until a few months ago, I had no idea what a cozy mystery was. What’s worse is that I have a few friends who write them. (I am a bad friend. *Sigh*) If you haven’t a clue (Get that? Clue?) of what a cozy mystery is, it is a sub-genre of crime fiction, where the sex and violence are downplayed and the crime occurs in a small community. (Thank you, Wikipedia.) Anyway, I decided it was time to read something that was a little lighter than my usual fare of science fiction and fantasy mayhem.
Riga Hayworth is a metaphysical detective who has lost her magical ability, but not her smarts. She and her gargoyle familiar Brigitte are recuperating in Lake Tahoe with her boyfriend Donovan who owns a local casino. Donovan is besotted with her, but she’s still trying to figure out how much she wants to commit (The world of ghosts and paranormal experiences are not new to him either.); however, their romance gets interrupted by the mysterious death of a local palm reader and Riga’s new job on a reality TV show trying to hunt down the local version of the Loch Ness monster. It doesn’t help that there are some local fanatics who view her skills as inherently evil. Life gets more complicated when she finds the next victim of what may be a serial killer.
I found the book to be light and enjoyable. My favorite character was Brigitte, the gargoyle, who had an annoying habit of scratching up the walls and floors of their rental cabin. Though the book was advertised as being the first in the series, it’s clear once you start reading that it is a continuation of a previous story; however, Ms. Weiss does a very good job of integrating all of the information you need into this story, so I didn’t feel like I missed anything. Her pacing was spot on and the characters just deep enough to care about. Though I guessed who the bad guy was, there was a nice twist that I didn’t expect. My one quibble is that whoever selected the font for the eBook may need to revisit that choice. It was extremely light and gray which made it difficult to read.
If you are looking for a light, fun read with magic, mayhem, and a touch of murder, this would be a good place to start.
Originally posted on Fanbase Press.
The gargoyle had me from the first chapter. The characters are great and so is the story. A great read.
more, please.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book,
This was my first read from this series (I’ve been reading the Doyle Witch series,) and I was pleasantly surprised. I found Riga Hayworth, the main character, to be well-rounded and the story intriguing and fun. I have already bought the next in the series.
If I read it, it was excellent !!!!! I READ IT. JAK,jr.
Couldn’t put it down!
I appreciated that the character just acted; she was aware of her own motivations, but there was nothing contrived about how the characters made their decisions–in other words, the situations were believable. I look forward to exploring more of the series.
Found this book easy to read and entertaining.
Excellent read! Engaging and well written
Finished the entire series – enjoyed the series and the characters. Waiting impatiently for more – what’s the story behind Donovan’s apparent abilities, and what adventures await Pen and Brigette! And, oh my, the twins!!
Riga Hayworth was a unique character and the plot was different and moved quickly to its surprising ending. A fun read. Davlyn Jones
I purchased 7 of this series and have enjoyed them all. Great character building.
I’m on the third book in the series and I am enjoying the series very much. A few places were a little drawn out, but as a whole it keeps right there and you don’t want to put it down. The characters are great and each one it well identified and well rounded, you know them.and the story keeps you gyessing. I highly recomened this series.
A surprising combination of fun, magic, mystery and romance. Really enjoy the fact that “heroine” Riga isn’t an ingenue- but her young niece nicely fills that role when needed. Theology and Esoterica. What a fun mix!
it was ok…but characters left unfinished and not developed …especially the gargoyle…
Enjoyed the story, but the pacing was a bit slow.
A nice blend of believable characters and situations with a discerning eye for scenic details. The heroine has had attitude because she has earned it by lived experience. I want to read the next installment