Book Review: In the Woods: A tale of supernatural suspense by Claudia Blood

In the Woods: A tale of supernatural suspense by Claudia Blood

A Paranormal Suspense Novel published by Dragon Bane Publishing (08/15/23)

Summary:

Laura and Todd have a new case: clearing the name of a very good family friend of Laura’s and finding the real killer. A blackmail note accuses the man of killing Laura’s mother, except she has no memory of the event or even of the case right after they talk about it. Magic is at work but Laura is convinced that the man is innocent. It’s a race against time before the killer strikes again.

Keywords:

Suspense, Magic, Mystery, Lies, Demons, Lost Memories, Flashbacks, Murder, Fighting, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary, Attack, Threat, Target

My Review:

This book, along with the first in the series At the Cabin describes a unique type of magic, a supernatural type of magic that is hard to pin down. What are the rules and how do they work in this magic realm? I was kept guessing as to how the magic worked and I liked how the magic usage was different from the norm.

There were frequent POV switches from Laura, Doug, and Todd and with the gap of time since reading the first book and these POV changes, I felt more removed from connecting to the characters as I had in the first book. This book is also a fast read so there isn’t as much time to get too deep into each of the main characters.

I enjoyed how detailed the descriptions were of facial expressions and what they might mean every time a chapter was told from Laura’s POV. Todd’s flashbacks were very exciting and had me at the edge of my seat. Doug’s chapters really brought a sense of justice and urgency to the mystery.

My favorite part was the ending. I absolutely loved the final scene, and the book was wrapped up to my satisfaction.

This novel was published by Dragon Bane Publishing on 08/15/2023 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.50

Links for more information:

Claudia Blood’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: At the Cabin (Supernatural Detective Agency Book 1) by Claudia Blood

At the Cabin (Supernatural Detective Agency Book 1) by Claudia Blood

A Paranormal Suspense Novel published by Dragon Bane Publishing (04/15/21)

Summary:

“Money was great, but what she really wanted was a heist so big that it could never be talked about. A heist so big, it was a whisper and the person who’d pulled it off was elevated to the best of the best. A heist so big it didn’t matter if she wasn’t human.” (Kindle edition).

Supernatural beings live amongst humans and not everyone knows. Ex-FBI Todd is a simple carpenter now, but he can recognize a real threat when he sees one. Laura owns the local dog rescue. Everything has been going so well with Peter, her boyfriend, and Kate’s help at the shelter that when it all goes up in flames, she’ll be blindsided. Todd and Laura, two strangers, will have to team up to survive.

Keywords:

Mob, Suspense, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary, Heist, Money, Attack, Mystery, Arson, Dog Rescue, Threat, Target

My Review:

This book is different from other supernatural books. It’s different from other mystery books. It’s different from other heist books. It’s different from other urban fantasy books. It’s a little bit of all these subgenres and then some. I don’t typically read books from any of these subgenres but the first paragraph in the story pulled me in and I left all my preconceptions behind.

It was the idea that intrigued me so much. It was the word, ‘doppelganger’ that pulled me in. It was more than just the mystery of trying to figure out who is who and what is what that fascinated me. The first chapter is so well crafted, I didn’t care what kind of book I was reading. I had to know more.

I wanted to know who really was the antagonist – because at first I couldn’t tell.

The hot hint of romance also had me at the edge of my seat. I was very much on board with a romance happening during the heist of the century.

This novel was published by Dragon Bane Publishing on 04/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Claudia Blood’s Website

Goodreads