Pall in the Family
A Family Fortune Mystery, Book 1
By Dawn Easton
ISBN# 9780425264270
Author’s Website: http://www.DawnEastman.com
Brought to you by guest reviewer Mary C.
Synopsis:
The aptly named Crystal Haven is the destination for tourists seeking psychics, séances, and the promise of contacting the spirit world. In this small western Michigan town, everyone knows the Fortune family. Rose is gifted with tarot card readings. Her sister, Vi, is a self-proclaimed pet psychic. And Rose’s daughter Clyde is…
A cop. A cop on leave from Ann Arbor, more specifically, who’s come home to kooky Crystal Haven to re-evaluate her life. Mom and Aunt Vi can’t wait for Clyde to finally embrace her own psychic gifts and join the family business. Clyde would prefer the low-stress lifestyle of a dog walker and the low-key company of her nephew, Seth.
But when a local psychic is killed, leaving behind a traumatized Shih Tzu, it seems to be in the cards for Clyde to get involved. With her old flame Mac leading the investigation, that may prove awkward. Whether she uses her skills as a cop or her long-denied psychic abilities, it’s up to Clyde to divine a killer’s identity before someone else suffers more misfortune. (Goodreads)
Review:
I’ve always loved a cozy with a psychic twist and this book aptly fits the bill. It’s wacky, it’s humorous, and it reminded me that everybody usually has a few nuts amongst the leaves on the family tree.
Clytemnestra Fortune, nicknamed Clyde, has an unsettling experience while on the job as a cop in Ann Arbor and decides to return home to Crystal Haven, MI. She tells everyone she’s taken a “leave of absence” (at least in her mind) to assess her options. Home is a Lily Dale-like town filled with psychics, tarot card readers, and those who communicate with the dead. Clyde’s father appears to be the only normal person in the three-ring circus that is her family. He’s a college professor who spends most of his time ignoring his wife and sister-in-law and listening to the police scanner. Aunt Vi is a pet psychic/communicator, and her mother Rose reads tarot cards.
Clyde is constantly bombarded by her mother and aunt to join the family business. However, she is in denial about her own psychic gifts and refuses to give in, instead deciding to be a dog walker. This provides many an entertaining moment as she tries to take care of the various canines. All the dogs are delightfully different, each with their own personality. Her nephew, Seth, assistant dog walker, is one of my favorite characters as he struggles to fit in to this crazy family. Although not quite a teenager, he tries to present a façade of adulthood which provide some amusing moments. He’s spending his vacation with the family and much to Clyde’s dismay; he becomes entangled in the investigation. Seth has a secret of his own which is revealed near the end of the book.
Trouble ensues when Clyde and Seth arrive to take Sara’s dog, Tuffy, for his walk. They hear him going berserk behind the door and find Sara, a local psychic, dead on the kitchen floor. As the only witness, Tuffy, can only scream about bacon when Aunt Vi questions him. Clyde is torn when she discovers one of her friends who was like a mother to her may have had a motive to kill Sara.
Clyde’s life is further complicated when an old love interest is the investigating officer. He brooks no nonsense about clues found through psychic means. Clyde feels Mac’s stance on psychic matters was the cause of their breakup. Their relationship is further explored and explained as the story progresses. I find this ploy of old love interests to be rather tiresome and overused. Additionally, this murder is bringing back memories of Clyde’s problems in Ann Arbor.
When another murder happens and this one is someone close to Clyde, her whole wacky family throw themselves into trying to find the murderer. Clyde refuses to use her psychic abilities and only wants to use her knowledge as a cop to solve the crime. I question where she took her training as several of her actions were quite foolhardy. Common sense didn’t seem to be one of her good points.
For all his bumbling, I liked Deputy Tom. He puts his job on the line to help Clyde and her family when Mac warns them off. Several viable suspects and a little sleight of hand keep the mystery going. I wasn’t able to solve it immediately and it took me awhile to get to the right suspect.
The characters are quirky but well developed. Aunt Vi seemed to think the world revolved around her and she could get quite irritating at times. I wouldn’t say I disliked her, but smaller doses are better than bigger batches.
All-in-all, I found this whimsical paranormal cozy exceptionally well done for a first in the series. I predict it will be a hit.
