“Caught Dead Handed,” by Carol J. Perry

FM’s ratings:

1. Premise 9
2. Prose 8
3. Plot 9
4. Characters 8
5. Overall 9

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

It's almost hard to justify giving a "just-for-fun" novel like this an overall rating of a "9". But this one is so skillfully rendered and the mechanisms of the Mystery aspect so artfully executed that I feel it deserves the rating. Could be I'm just a sucker for the trappings of this story: the supernatural element, the witches, tarot cards, crystal balls, visions, and more; the ambiance of these things. And if the premise had been even more evil or creepy or other-worldly, I might have given the premise a "10". People who "aren't into" these things (and don't misunderstand - I'm perhaps the most skeptical person you have ever encountered when it comes to the supernatural - I just like it in my fiction, where it belongs!) - those people might not get past the first few chapters before losing interest. As it turns out, the solution to the mystery is explainable by science, even if the science involves the psychiatric muddle of split personalities. The subtitle: "A Witch City Mystery," is merely a reference to Salem, Massachusetts, and some of the back story there is consistent with my own scant research into the topic. I had wondered if the setting was going to be a mythical place inhabited by witches. Oh well, maybe in Perry's next series. As for this series, I will be looking at the sequels soon enough - but for now it's time to move on.

Here’s the April line-up!
"The Silent Corner," by Dean Koontz [4-7-18]
"The Forever Man," by Gordon R. Dickson [4-14-18]
"The Black Cat Knocks on Wood," by Kay Finch [4-21-18]
"The Good, the Bad, and the Undead," by Kim Harrison [4-28-18]