Hypnosis Is For Hacks
Though Eleanor is delighted that her brother, Liam, is visiting her in England, she must reluctantly agree that her quiet village lacks something when it comes to sightseeing—namely: sights. True, there’s nearby Castle Hartford, belonging to the family of Ellie’s boyfriend, Nicholas. But even Nicholas’s mother is eager to ditch sleepy, sweltering Sussex for a vacation in Brighton, taking Ellie and a relieved Liam with her. Yet hopes of a breezy seaside holiday quickly turn stormy, in every sense.
The ominous change in weather is accompanied by the reappearance of Ellie’s former partner-in-crime, Armand Lamont. Back when Ellie earned a living as a phony medium, Armand’s hypnosis skills helped the pair persuade many gullible marks to hand over their savings. Ellie assumes that Armand has resurfaced with blackmail in mind, but before she can figure out his angle, she and Liam witness a man being pushed from a boat by two shadowy figures who then vanish into mid-air.
Phantoms? Demons? Though Ellie doesn’t believe in either, the recovered body is real enough, as is a string of thefts plaguing their luxury hotel. Ellie has a theory, and it requires inviting Nicholas to join them under a fake identity. Their evolving relationship is as complex as this case, and Ellie’s authentic supernatural abilities are developing in surprising ways. But as for whether the outcome will be good or bad, not even her witchy powers can say.
The Details
Series: An Eleanor Wilde Mystery – Book # 4
Author: Tamara Berry
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Paranormal
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ISBN: 149672934X
Page Count: 288
Rating: 
The Review
I love this series. Hypnosis Is For Hacks makes me love it even more. Some might say that Eleanor is getting what’s coming to her when she unexpectedly runs into her former partner in crime, Armand. She is angry, frightened, and a little ticked off, but most of all, she is worried. When she witnesses a murder that no one believes happened, she finds herself at the mercy of Armand, not one, but two ghosts, and her visiting brother. It isn’t a position she ever wanted to be in, and she is going to do her best not to let it ruin her life while tracking down a killer and possibly keep her loved ones from getting ripped off by her fraud ex-partner.
Eleanor doesn’t like hypnosis; she has seen far too many bad things that come from it. Mainly when used by her former partner. But no matter how much she suspects he is back in her life to destroy it, she doesn’t think he is a killer. When a man’s body washed up on the shore, everyone talks about it being a tragic accident, but she knows it was murder ad sets out to prove that she is right. The hotel may be haunted, but she has her own ghost to help her figure out the puzzle, or at least when they feel like helping. All of the suspects are staying at the luxury hotel that she, her brother, and Nicholas’ mother is vacationing at, so you would think it would be easy to keep track of them, but… that’s not how it works when she has to keep watch over her brother and her ex-partner to keep them out of trouble and a killer’s sights.
The suspect pool isn’t too large, and each has a secret or an outright motive, but it doesn’t seem possible that any of them could have committed the crime. The evidence is slim but not invisible. There are a few red herrings but not so many that they overwhelm the story. I liked the hypnosis aspect, mainly when used on Eleanor. The hotel sounds lovely if a bit old-fashioned, which is okay with me because I like things, and places that are old or traditional. There is quite a bit of the paranormal theme running through this story, and that I really enjoyed. I like to think that Eleanor is evolving into a real witch and not just a con artist. Other characters are changing as well, and we get to meet Eleanor’s brother in eth flesh, so to speak. I hope he continues to make appearances in future installments. Armand is a nice character that gives us a better insight into Eleanor’s old life and allows us to see how much she has changed from the first book.
Hypnosis Is For Hacks keeps the reader engaged and entertained. The relationship dynamics are enjoyable and show growth. The hotel setting takes us out of the castle and Eleanor’s tiny house and places the reader into a world of paranormal, luxury, and co-worker politics. For me, the killer’s identity was apparent, but that is part of what made this book so enjoyable. Knowing I was right was fun but finding out the killer’s motive was the intrigue I look for in any cozy. I am happy to recommend this book to all readers.
The Author
Tamara began her writing career in 2012 as romance author Tamara Morgan. Since then, 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.
Readers will want to check out other books in the “An Eleanor Wilde Mystery” series, including book number one, Séances Are for Suckers, or book two, Potions Are for Pushovers.
Represented by: Handspun Literary
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