Lee and her aunt (Ibby) go to one of those storage locker auctions (where they auction off the storage units stuff that have unpaid rent). Aunt Ibby sees something she has to have and luckily, she wins. There is an interesting old carousal horse and a samovar (this is what Ibby wanted). Lee sees a vision in the samovar's shiny surface and this begins the mystery.
I was frustrated with this one. Don't get me wrong, the mystery is an interesting one. I love Aunt Ibby and O'Ryan. They are the best parts of this book. My frustration is with Lee. She is 32 (if my memory is correct) and is still having issues with/disliking/not embracing her gift. In one moment I think she is making headway and the next she isn't ("so-called gift of mine"). This being the 4th book, I just expected more. I thought this in book 3 too. I don't expect competence. But I did expect and anticipated a certain amount of acceptance and embracement. And it isn't there IMO.
Then there is the "romance." I just don't see it with Pete. At all. Friends, sure. Lovers? Nope. I think I'm done with this series. I have zero desire to read more.
And what is with Lee calling O'Ryan "cat?" He has a name, use it!
I was frustrated with this one. Don't get me wrong, the mystery is an interesting one. I love Aunt Ibby and O'Ryan. They are the best parts of this book. My frustration is with Lee. She is 32 (if my memory is correct) and is still having issues with/disliking/not embracing her gift. In one moment I think she is making headway and the next she isn't ("so-called gift of mine"). This being the 4th book, I just expected more. I thought this in book 3 too. I don't expect competence. But I did expect and anticipated a certain amount of acceptance and embracement. And it isn't there IMO.
Then there is the "romance." I just don't see it with Pete. At all. Friends, sure. Lovers? Nope. I think I'm done with this series. I have zero desire to read more.
And what is with Lee calling O'Ryan "cat?" He has a name, use it!
Murder Go Round by Carol J. Perry is the fourth book in A Witch City Mystery series. It is late August in Salem, Massachusetts. Maralee "Lee" Barrett and her aunt, Ibby (Isobel Russell) are going to a storage locker auction. The first locker looks like it is full of junk, but Ibby notices the writing on one of the boxes. They bid and win. What looks like a space full of junk, turns out to be full of treasures. There is a beautiful hand-carved wood carousel horse wrapped in a crazy quilt, a gorgeous clock, Russian nesting dolls, and a gorgeous sterling silver samovar. But it seems that someone else wants their newly acquired gems. They sort through the many items and divide them into piles. One pile heads to the curb, one for the local charity shop, and the final (and much smaller) pile heads into the house. Pete Mondello, a police detective and Lee's boyfriend, helps Lee take the carousel horse to Paul Carbone be refinished. That night Lee receives a call from Pete that Paul's shop has been broken into. Someone took apart her carousel horse and the police found a man deceased outside Paul's shop. It is soon obvious that the culprit is not finished. The next morning, they discover that the trash from the storage locker has disappeared from the curb during the night (trash men are not that efficient). The items at the thrift shop are also gone. What could they be looking for? Lee uses her special ability (she can see visions in reflective surfaces) along with clues from her equally unique cat, O'Ryan to help Pete solve the case.
Murder Go Round is easy to read, and I like the setting of Salem, Massachusetts. While Murder Go Round is the fourth book in A Witch City Mystery series, it can easily be read alone. The author updates the reader on what has occurred in the previous novels. The mystery is intriguing. I like how it takes us back to Czar Nicholas II (the last Czar of Russia before the revolution). I give Murder Go Round 3 out of 5 stars. I did not enjoy Murder Go Round as much as I did the previous books in the series. I found information to be repeated (especially about the case) and the mystery was not difficult to solve. I was able to ferret out the culprit early in the book. I wish there had been less time spent on Raven and her tarot card reading. I did not feel it enhanced the story (it was distracting and the cards are confusing). I wish that Lee would embrace her abilities. I am tired of her complaining about her unique gift. Lee mentions more than once that she associates her gift (visions) with death and dying (what does she expect when she solves mysteries and helps her detective boyfriend). I believe the author needs move Lee forward. We need to see her character grow, develop and embrace her gift. I will read the next book in A Witch City Mystery series. I will give it another shot to see if there is improvement.
Murder Go Round is easy to read, and I like the setting of Salem, Massachusetts. While Murder Go Round is the fourth book in A Witch City Mystery series, it can easily be read alone. The author updates the reader on what has occurred in the previous novels. The mystery is intriguing. I like how it takes us back to Czar Nicholas II (the last Czar of Russia before the revolution). I give Murder Go Round 3 out of 5 stars. I did not enjoy Murder Go Round as much as I did the previous books in the series. I found information to be repeated (especially about the case) and the mystery was not difficult to solve. I was able to ferret out the culprit early in the book. I wish there had been less time spent on Raven and her tarot card reading. I did not feel it enhanced the story (it was distracting and the cards are confusing). I wish that Lee would embrace her abilities. I am tired of her complaining about her unique gift. Lee mentions more than once that she associates her gift (visions) with death and dying (what does she expect when she solves mysteries and helps her detective boyfriend). I believe the author needs move Lee forward. We need to see her character grow, develop and embrace her gift. I will read the next book in A Witch City Mystery series. I will give it another shot to see if there is improvement.
