There was a slow build and then I found myself absolutely engrossed. In fact, I blame my blurry eyes and yawns of today on this book. Yes, I stayed up too late reading. With likable characters and an interesting blend of mysteries old and new, the slow build actually worked to the advantage. It gave you time to become familiar with and, yes, care about the characters and feel the impact of the murder all the more. With multiple suspects and red herrings, if you're like me, you're not sure who did it until the very final reveal. Hence, it definitely kept my interest.
There's also an ample dose of Halloween but the focus remained on the characters and their inter-connections. Romance even seems to be blossoming. And, oh, yes, there are cats, cats in costume cats up for adoption, and spoiled cats with handlers, so lots of feline appearances .... and disappearances. Maddie's beloved cat JJ manages to play a role, of course, and his costume of Sherlock Holmes seems spot on.
But, can Maddie unravel who killed famous psychic Balfour before there's another murder at the old hotel to add to the mysterious deaths there in the past. And, was Balfour for real or was he just a good guesser. Will Maddie come around to being a believer or, at the very least, not quite as skeptical. Grandfather seems to believe after Balfour shares a message with him from his beloved late wife, Maddie's grandmother, Lucy. Will there be a message for Maddie? Oh, the questions. Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for allowing me to spend a spooky Halloween with Maddie, Lucus, Becky, and all the rest. I wonder who won the pumpkin carving contest?
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