Curses Are for Cads
As Sussex’s resident fake witch and pseudo psychic, Eleanor has grown accustomed to somewhat strange requests for supernatural aid. So when Nicholas’s university pal, Sid Stewart, writes from the family’s remote castle in Scotland, begging for Ellie’s services as a medium, Ellie is only delighted to help.
Apparently, the recently deceased patriarch of Sid’s family, Glenn Stewart, died before divulging the whereabouts of an important cache of family heirlooms. The Stewart clan hopes a clairvoyant can contact him from beyond the grave. Of course, Ellie can’t actually commune with the dead. But faking it is the name of her game. She’s not worried until, aboard the train for Oban, Ellie discovers that fellow medium Birdie White is also heading to the Outer Hebrides to assist the Stewarts. Birdie is a master in the art, serving as a spiritual consultant to royalty and even assisting Scotland Yard on occasion. Ellie might not trust the woman’s motivations, but Birdie’s skills are unquestionable.
But while Birdie is busy speaking with the dead, Ellie plans to talk to living suspects–namely, the other residents and employees of the spooky Stewart estate, who know a lot more than they’re letting on. Amid swirling rumors of cursed treasure, whispered tales of ghostly pirates, and a recent spate of preternatural murders, in order to catch the killer, Ellie must confront the most terrifying possibility of all, her gift may be real.
Series: An Eleanor Wilde Mystery – Book #3
Author: Tamara Berry
Genre: Exotic Location/Paranormal
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 288
Rating: 
In the latest addition to the “An Eleanor Wilde Mystery” series, Curses Are for Cads; fake psychic Eleanor is being put to the test. Eleanor was supposed to be spending a holiday with Nicholas on a beach; instead, she is on her way to a castle in Scotland, alone. She is on a mission to find a hidden treasure but unexpectedly is joined by another psychic on the train ride. When her new companion predicts a death on the train, Eleanor is skeptical until she sees a vision of the death, and shortly after, a man dies. She knows that she is a fake, but maybe her new friend isn’t.
Eleanor is an evolving character who still has some growing to do, which is a wonderful thing. Other returning characters are in this book but do not play as prominent a role as they usually would. Which is something I didn’t care for. I enjoy the interaction between Eleanor and Nicholas’s family, and not having this somehow made the story less exciting. However, it appears as though the author is taking Eleanor from a fake psychic to a real one, and this is something I had hoped for from the beginning of the series. After all, she can talk to her dead sister; the step from fake to actual isn’t a giant leap.
For most of the book, readers aren’t sure that a murder occurred, and neither is Eleanor, but she investigates as if it were and concludes that her instincts are correct. Being a psychic has its good and bad points, and she realizes quickly that she may not be able to fake her way through this one; she needs real help from her dead sister but isn’t getting it. She needs answers, and soon before someone else, including her, becomes the next victim. The actual victim is mentioned throughout the story, but readers may not get a good sense of who he was. However, the motive is evident and as old as time.
Throughout Curses Are for Cads, there are clues and suspects that readers should pick up on from the start, but the evidence may not be as straightforward as it could be. Overall the story is interesting and keeps the reader’s interest, although it does slow down a bit here and there. I like the way Eleanor’s psychic abilities are changing and how she is growing. The ending was inspiring and could be a big surprise for some readers.
Other paranormal cozies that readers will enjoy are Juliet Blackwell’s thrilling “Haunted Home Renovation” or Allison Brook’s wonderful library-based “A Haunted Library Mystery”.
About the Author
Tamara began her writing career in 2012 as romance author Tamara Morgan. Since that time, she has expanded to include cozy mysteries (Tamara Berry) and puppy-themed romantic comedies (Lucy Gilmore). Her books are fun, lighthearted, and always come with a guaranteed HEA.
Tamara graduated from Eastern Washington University with an English degree, where she learned about very important literature and also that she vastly prefers to read about love and murder. She lives in Washington state with her family, and far more pets than any of them need.
Represented by: Handspun Literary.
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