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REVIEW: Lost In The Mind by Alice Winters
In The Mind: Lost In The Mind – Alice Winters
After the last incident—which involved a serial killer—Chevy and Seneca are considering puppy wrangling as a new, safer profession than psychic detective work. Honestly, Seneca would prefer to focus on his new relationship with Chevy, even if he’s worried about the menacing countdown calendar leading to Chevy’s birthday. But when homicide requests some assistance from them, they have no idea what they’re getting into. And if they’d known what would happen, they definitely would have gone with the puppy wrangling.
When an elderly couple is found dead in their own home, Chevy and Seneca are pulled into the case. But what’s unusual is that it appears neither of them were killed; instead, they simply stopped existing. Even with Chevy’s ability to go into the memories of the victims, he’s unable to tell what happened to the seemingly normal couple.
That is, until it happens again. This time, the victims are found alive, all of them kneeling and staring at a blank wall as if hypnotized by it. It’s up to Chevy and Seneca to figure out what is drawing these people and who might be manipulating them.
But when Seneca begins to act strangely, Chevy becomes concerned that he might also be affected by what is controlling the others. Chevy will do anything to keep the man he loves safe and as far from “The Light” as he can. But is it too late?
Lost in the Mind is 94k words of banter, the strangest salad ever, and the strengthening of a bond (especially after Chevy’s birthday). This book follows the events of Within the Mind but focuses on a new case.
Chevy and Seneca’s second adventure still delivers the same hilarious WTFuckery but tones down the creepy mindfuckery.
The two men are gifted law enforcement officers. Chevy can access people’s memories, Seneca can copy any gift. They were partnered together because Seneca keeps Chevy grounded.
Both men are in their late 20s going on 5 because they are the epitome of mature, civilized adults. Mature, civilized adults whose very juvenile sense of humor includes ridiculous bets about having sex on tree branches, eating a head of lettuce while on a stakeout and inappropriate jokes about their boss to their boss’s face. It should have long gotten them fired long ago.
But hey, everybody loves the uber charismatic Seneca. Who can talk everybody into doing anything, including murder it turns out. So they let him get away with everything.
Meanwhile, Chevy, introverted and usually overlooked, finally got his own admirer. Seneca got jealous for one hot minute then recruited said admirer into his Chevy fan club. You gotta love his devotion to his man.
I am happy that these two are settling together quite nicely. The book is written from Chevy’s point of view. He’s still as enamored with Seneca as he was in the first book. And still makes it his mission to aggravate the man. Seneca is still proudly demonstrating his love for Chevy in his inimitable Seneca way. The only change is that now, Chevy is no longer shy about showing his love back.
After the events in Within The Mind, these two dorks have became inseparable. As in living together, working together, holding hands while going after bad guys inseparable.
The new case is a very baffling mystery where individuals were found kneeling in front of a blank wall seemingly mesmerized. Investigation revealed these individuals were called by a light, enticing them to surrender to it. It turns them into fearless freaks with no regard to danger or consequences.
While I wasn’t as creeped out as the first case, this still has it’s fare share of scare amped up by scenes where pairs of eyes all move simultaneously to stare at Chevy and by narrator Joel Leslie’s bad guy voices. The villain behind the light wasn’t as malevolent as their first serial killer. His ‘good intentions’ were pretty twisted though.
This is a solid paranormal series although the world-building is nebulous at best. There is not much details about people, places and gifts. We don’t know where gifts come from. It’s only mentioned that it’s already there before. It’s also hinted that Chevy’s gift is more powerful than he thinks. Seneca’s gift also had a surprising twist and him getting his dark lord mojo on was one heck of a turnabout. I hope we get more explanations in future books.
Lost In The Mind was quite the head trip. The story felt both slow and fast. The case was difficult and took a while to solve. The plot cycles through humor to horror to fluff at breakneck speed.
One moment Chevy and Seneca are faced with the Pillow Case Cult (<- best cult name ever) ready to sacrifice them to The Light, the next we got an over the top birthday celebration complete with room full of balloons, a chastity belt and tunnel exploration. In between, we get quiet, tender moments of finger cuddles and warm fuzzies. It’s enough to give one whiplash.
But I’m already ready for more outrageous Chevy and Seneca shenanigans. Bring on the next psycho!
P.S.
In The Mind series is best experienced in order. Witness Chevy hopelessly pining after Seneca, Seneca futilely chasing after Chevy because that’s how these two idiots roll in the first book, Within The Mind. Review here.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Light’s On
Artist: Secret Machines
Album: Now Here Is Nowhere
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BLOG TOUR: Huntsman by Morgan Brice (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q & A With Author)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Huntsman by Morgan Brice (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Huntsman by Morgan Brice (Excerpt)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Power Inversion by Sara Codair (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Awakening by Sean Ian O’Meidhir & Connal Braginsky (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Third Eye by Rick R. Reed (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Dead Reckoning by Pandora Pine
Cold Case Psychic: Dead Reckoning – Pandora Pine
When the spirit of a young male prostitute comes to psychic Tennyson Grimm asking him to find the john who brutally murdered him, Tennyson can’t say no. Only able to communicate through the use of images, rather than words, getting any information out of the young man is frustrating and slow going.
Cold Case Detective Ronan O’Mara has been on a roll solving cases since he and Tennyson last teamed up to solve the Michael Frye case. Unfortunately, the red-hot romance that had blossomed between them during that investigation is now off in a ditch, thanks to Ronan’s self-confessed pigheadedness.
Agreeing to work together despite the rift in their relationship, Tennyson and Ronan discover they are in for more than they bargained for when more victims start to reveal themselves to Tennyson.
Realizing they might have a serial killer on their hands, the two men work tirelessly to stop this madman from killing again, but when the killer targets the son of a prominent member of the Boston Police Department, can Ronan and Tennyson save him before it’s too late?
It was Tenn’s turn to lose his cool with a case that hit close to home.
Tennyson, always the calm and unruffled one, couldn’t help but be emotional and angry when a ghost of a dead gay teenager appeared to let him know he was murdered. This opened a can of worms long since present in the city but largely ignored. That of homeless teenagers peddling their bodies in order to survive. Most of these teenagers were gay boys thrown out of their houses. Tenn was would have been one of these teens living on the streets if not for his psychic gifts.
Meanwhile Ronan manned up and finally admitted that he has a problem. He and Tenn had a huge blow up regarding how the previous case of his ex-husband turning out to be a child killer, was affecting him. This led to him walking away from Tenn.
Ronan was more likable in this book, especially after they reconciled. He was happier and warmer. His connection with Tenn was stronger. He still had his moments but the temper tantrums were less frequent. He still blurted out details of the case to a journalist but that was because he needed the man’s help. Like Tenn said, we’re seeing the side of Ronan that was there before his dreaded ex ruined it.
This installment also saw a more human Captain Kevin Fitzgibbon, Ronan’s boss. I liked how the captain fit right in Tenn and Ronan’s ever expanding family. I’m glad Fitz has his own book.
Dead Reckoning is another serial killing case where teen prostitutes were the main target. The details of the crimes were harrowing but not too graphic. The killer was harder to guess compared to the first book. Although, I found that the story tried a little too hard in directing my attention to the other guy.
IMHO, I think, it would have been more interesting if the killer was known early on and the story was more about trying to prove that he’s the guy. Kind of like what L.A. Witt & Cari Z. did in Suspicious Behavior. I rarely come across their kind of take on the serial killer trope.
The author did a good job building up to the climax. However at the most critical point, things quickly went pear-shaped on different levels. A police officer who knew better forgot his training and came rushing half-cocked into a standoff. Shots were fired, he was hit on the chest. Then came more people, people who were supposedly severely injured, rushing in and crying. It was stupid and melodramatic. I expected better.
Dead Reckoning may have some parts that could have been done differently, but overall, I enjoyed this book. I was hooked on the story for hours. There were definite improvements from the first book, Dead Speak. I liked how the ending set up expectations for the third book.
Would Tenn enjoy the silence?
P.S.
review of book 1, Dead Speak, here
review of Suspicious Behavior hereRating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: U (Man Like)
Artist: Bon Iver
Album: I,I -
REVIEW: Dead Speak by Pandora Pine
Cold Case Psychic: Dead Speak – Pandora Pine
Demoted to the cold case squad after shooting a suspect in the line of duty, Detective Ronan O’Mara knows that his career with the Boston Police Department is hanging by a thread. His first assignment is the case of Michael Frye, a five-year-old boy who has been missing for seven years. With no new leads or witnesses to interview, Ronan has to start from scratch to solve this mystery. When he sees a handsome local psychic on television, Ronan figures he’s got nothing to lose in enlisting the man’s help to find Michael.
Psychic Tennyson Grimm is riding high after helping South Shore cops find a missing child. He’s even being courted by the Reality Show Network about a program showcasing his abilities. He has no idea that his midday appointment with a customer, who instead turns out to be a police detective, is going to change the course of his life and his career.
With the blessing of the BPD, which badly needs an image make-over, Ronan is allowed to bring Tennyson in to assist with the Frye case. Being thrown together in front of cameras is never easy, but add in an emotional missing person’s investigation, a tight-lipped spirit, and a cop who’s a skeptic, and it definitely puts a strain on both men and their working relationship.
When the child’s body is found, the work to identify his killer begins. As Ronan and Tennyson get closer to solving the case, the initial attraction they feel for one another explodes into a passion neither man can contain.
Will working together to bring Michael’s killer to justice seal their fledgeling bond, or will unexpected revelations in the case tear them apart forever?
Whenever something somewhere happens, somebody shouts, screams, bellows. That somebody is usually Detective Ronan O’Mara, who as a police officer, certainly had no qualms yelling out confidential police info when his temper gets the better of him. I neither liked nor disliked the man. He was not a boring character, I’ll grant him that. But, jeez, get a hold of yourself, Ro!
Tennyson ‘Ten’ Grimm is a psychic with the patience of a saint. He’s able to deal with anything from grieving parents to hot-headed detectives with equanimity. I dunno what he sees in Ronan but he’s a psychic a.k.a. he can read people, so I trust he knows his business
Cold Case Psychic is a police+psychic procedural series that’s off to a 3-star start. Book 1, Dead Speak brought together the detective and psychic to work on a cold case of a missing child last seen 7 years ago. Their investigation was filmed for a reality tv pilot with the series name as their working title.
It bothered me that these two seemed to forget they were being recorded. I know that’s the point of reality tv but still. They talk about details of the case that should have been secret. They fight and blurt out very personal issues right inside the car with voice activated cameras. And Ronan’s captain never even mentioned his lack of professionalism. At all.
I would like to say I guessed the unsub early on but I didn’t. I only got the hint when I read the other reviews that complained about the villain being portrayed as pure evil. Probably if I was smarter or more invested (because at some points, I was just there for the ride) the glaring clues should have tipped me off. Heck, he was the only one who was consistently mean. Michael was slow to reveal the clues which made the story longer. This is understandable because he was a child, even if a ghost, and had to be handled sensitively.
Even if I knew who did it, it was still enjoyable finding out the hows and whys. I still felt a sense of anticipation with the big reveal and the climax brought out the heebie jeebies. Sure, it was a bit OTT with the voices in the head thing but it was still effective.
Ten’s growing found family was a pleasure to meet. The prequel is a must read for Carson and Truman’s story. They’re expecting triplets. Cole is Carson’s brother who is married to Cassie, who is Truman’s bestfriend and business partner. They have a 1 year old daughter, Laurel. The brothers are both psychics. Tennyson is mentoring them.
All in all, I wasn’t wowed but I’m up for the second book. If you like a passable police procedural with a winsome family of psychics you might want to give this one a go. But skip if you’re looking for a stronger connection between MCs, a more professional police behavior and a more mindboggling case of whodunnit.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Predator
Artist: Toni Childs
Album: The Woman’s Boat -
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: To The Flame by A.E. Ross (Excerpt & Giveaway)
