A PANICKED PREMONITIONI by Victoria Laurie

Publisher:   Berkley
Published:  July 4, 2017
ISBN:        978-0451473905
Genre:       Cozy Mystery
Format:     Print
Obtained via:  Publisher  
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

FOUR HEARTS

 

Abby Cooper-Rivers’s husband, Dutch, and her best friend, Candice’s husband, Brice, have embarked on a new venture in addition to their jobs as FBI agents. Along with Abby and Dutch’s friend Dave, they’ve opened a “safe room” business catering to the wealthy homeowners of Austin. Things are moving along smoothly, however one client has a slight problem she wants Abby’s input on. When Abby and Candice arrive the woman, Murielle McKenna, turns out to be quite the piece of work.  She’s been pursuing Dutch and has a penchant for suing anyone and everyone. When Abby and Candice leave Murielle’s house they find there is more to worry about than the woman’s veiled threats of a lawsuit.  They learn from Dave’s wife that he is missing and not only that, he’s the key suspect in the murder of four people—two of them the homeowners of a house Dutch’s company has installed a safe room in.  The plot thickens when Dave’s wife also goes missing.   As Abby, Candice, Dutch and Brice try to locate Dave and his wife the case takes a series of twists and turns, linking several homeowners to each other along.  Even with Abby’s sixth sense they cannot find the missing couple or reason out why the original murders happened.

Victoria Laurie takes the characters in her Psychic Eye series down a new road in the latest book, A PANICKED PREMONITION.  With Dutch and Brice’s new business there is some solid potential for some fun new stories.  I like how Abby continues to develop—Laurie hasn’t left her stagnant in time, but she’s grown and matured.  As Abby approaches her 40’s she has become a bit more introspective and secure in herself. Not that she wasn’t secure in her skills before—she just knows herself better and is able to give more of herself to her husband. Abby and Dutch have been totally and completely in love from the beginning, but Abby has had some issues to overcome before she could truly let Dutch in.  His own unconditional love for Abby is laid out in the stories making them a terrific couple.

A PANICKED PREMONITION has a good mystery with some nice red herrings…just when you think you’ve figured out what is going on Laurie throws in yet another layer of information.  You totally know how frustrated Abby is feeling when she reaches for a thread only to have it unravel before her eyes. The answer is there…you just need to be paying very close attention to the clues Laurie embeds in the story. 

In addition to having her supporting characters develop along their way she adds a few new ones that will make for some good reads in the future.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

 

 

A SENSE OF DECEPTION by Victoria Laurie

Publisher:   Berkley
Published:  July 7, 2015
ISBN:        978-0451473868
Genre:       Mystery
Format:     Print
Obtained via:  Publisher  
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com
 

FOUR HEARTS

 

Abby Rivers (nee Cooper) has never been one to hold back when it comes to meting out justice, even if it puts her at risk. So when her intuition tells her a judge, a federal judge, is engaged in something hinky, she lets loose…in open court. Not at all happy with Abby’s actions, the judge has her thrown in jail for contempt.  There she meets Skylar Miller, a death row inmate on the verge of her last appeal.  Uber protective husband, FBI agent Dutch Rivers, immediately sets about having Abby separated from the woman who is about to die for killing her child. Before she is moved though, Abby has a chance to talk to Skylar and she’s convinced the woman did not do it. Despite the clock running faster than anyone can realistically stop the pending execution, Abby takes on the case. Along with “vacationing” FBI agent Oscar Rodriguez and her best friend and partner, PI Candice Fusco, they set about to find the real killer.  Can they find him or her before time runs out for Skylar?

I’ve been a fan of Victoria Laurie’s Psychic Eye series from day one and through its various ups and downs. I’m one of those readers who also reads a book’s forward, afterward and acknowledgements. In her acknowledgements of SENSE OF DECEPTION, Laurie shares a very personal part of her life and tells the story of her puppy, Lily. I had to sit for a few minutes to absorb the very heartfelt story of Lily’s passage to the Rainbow Bridge.  Having recently had to help my 19 year old kitty cross the bridge, Lily’s story was particularly poignant.  This is not my normal review.

 
When I started the book I once again enjoyed reading Abby’s antics. I could see where over the years (12 prior books) she’s grown and changed. Her realization about just how very much she loves Dutch was a well-done moment. As I got into the book though, I found myself becoming conflicted. I struggle with any story where a child or animal is harmed. I continued on but the story seemed to drag. As Abby hit roadblock after roadblock I found myself thinking “come on—even I know who did it.” (without reading ahead). 

But then I realized something that had me turning back to the acknowledgements and Laurie’s words about Lily.  I’m not sure if this is what was going on when she wrote this book, but it was a cathartic moment for me and I suspect would be for anyone else who has lost a loved one, especially one who has been sick. Whether I am right or not, it is something to consider. Laurie wrote, or at least finished writing SENSE OF DECEPTION at the time of Lily’s cancer diagnosis.  Who among us hasn’t been in a situation where we will do anything to change the outcome? With a sick family member, including our pets, much like Abby keeps trying to find a way to save Skylar, even though time is running out. There are times she is ready to give up—but either one of her friends or she herself finds the strength, the energy, the wherewithal to keep going—to change the outcome. As a psychic Abby knows the limitations—but she is human enough to keep going. I was struck by what was, to me, a strong parallel between Abby’s determination to save Skylar and Laurie’s very personal story about Lily…and my own efforts to change my kitty’s outcome. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we do not. Even if I am way off base here, considering this deeper meaning to the story made it a truly wonderful read.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

 

 

A GRAVE PREDICTION by Victoria Laurie

Publisher:   Berkley  
Published:      Hardback - July 26, 2016
                    Paperback -  June 6, 2017
ISBN:        978-0451473899
Genre:       Cozy Mystery
Format:     Print
Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

4 Hearts

 

Summoned to her boss’s office psychic consultant to the FBI’s closed case division, Abby Cooper (Rivers) is “asked” to go to L.A. to train the agents there on how to use their intuition for crime solving. While it would seem to be a flattering assignment, it’s not. Abby is quite aware of the scepticism seen in many of the agents when it comes to psychics.  When it becomes clear there is a deeper issue behind the request, she agrees to go.  Initially she’s off on her own, but before she boards her flight, best friend Candace Fusco arrives at the airport and the two take off for L.A.  What they encounter in L.A. turns out to be a lot more than some disbelieving agents. The staff, of course, tests Abby, and not in a nice way. In short order she manages to bait at least two of them…one by calling him a stalker and the other by telling him he’ll never solve a crime he’s determined to bring to a close. She does, however, hit on one case that seems pretty clear to have been a murder. Certain that 3, possibly 4 young girls were killed Abby leads the team to a construction site. There is definitely a body there, but it’s not a recent crime. Rather than appreciating her find, the L.A. team becomes even more antagonistic. So much so the special agent in charge sends her home.  Not that Abby and Candace are inclined to follow his direction. Especially not when their husbands fully support what they plan to do.

 
In several ways Victoria Laurie has come full circle with her latest, A GRAVE PREDICTION. What a great read. There is a solid focus on Abby using both her investigative and intuitive skills.  The blend of the two makes for some interesting aspects in her character.  There is still a level of anger to her character, but when Candace doesn’t just call her on it, but shows her a better way of dealing with it, it’s nicely done. The “anger” built over several stories, starting with when she was almost killed while working for the CIA. Laurie did a great job of showing how that anger, while coming out as snark and sarcasm directed at people Abby felt were dissing her, but that it was also affecting her internally. As a character Abby has grown and developed through each book.

Candace has gotten stronger through each book as well. I’m not sure I agree with some of her “tough love” directed toward Abby. It is clear, though, that it comes from a place of a loving friend.

I missed Dutch, Eggy and Tuttle in this one although if they were more present the story could not have been told as solidly as it was. Moving Candace and Abby to L.A. also worked well for taking them to their next level.
 
 
 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

 

 

DEADLY FORECAST by Victoria Laurie

 

Publisher:    NAL

Published:   June 30, 2014

ISBN:        978-0451419699

Genre:       Cozy Mystery  

Format:     Print

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

THREE-1/2 HEARTS

It’s just a few days away from Abby and Dutch’s wedding day and Abby is filled with anticipation.  Thing is, it’s not anticipation of becoming Mrs. Dutch Rivers, but rather it’s a dark and gloomy feeling that Dutch may not survive the ceremony.  And somehow she cannot help but feel it’s tied to the current case they are working on. The closer the date of their nuptials comes the more Abby fears for Dutch’s life.  Worst of all is when her intuition tells her that she will be the catalyst for Dutch’s demise.

Dutch only wants to be with Abby, for better or for worse, till death do they part. While Abby is completely with Dutch on that score, she hasn’t told him of her fears and that alone could spell the end of their relationship.

As an FBI agent Dutch is determined to find the person behind the suicide bombers showing up around Austin.  But when the bomber gets closer to Dutch and Abby, can they find him before he finds them?

The last few of Victoria Laurie’s Psychic Eye books have been a bit hit or miss. DEADLY FORECAST was a definite hit in terms of Abby and Dutch’s story, but for the M.J. portions, not so much.  Those portions weren’t bad per se. It was the jumping around from what was going on with Dutch and Abby leading up to the wedding the M.J.’s scenes in the two hours before.  I finally stopped reading straight through and read Abby’s chapters and then, just before the wedding, went back and read all of M.J.’s.  It made for a much smoother and enjoyable read.

This isn’t a light hearted cozy nor is it a straight police procedural, but something in between.  Dutch and Abby are such a great couple to read and Laurie’s secondary characters add so much to the story. They aren’t there as background, but have their own lives and stories.  Each of the regular characters develop a little more in each story and it’s well done.

Can’t wait to see where Laurie takes them next.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

LETHAL OUTLOOK by Victoria Laurie

Publisher:     NAL

Published:    June 4, 2103

ISBN:        978-0451414908

Genre:       Cozy Mystery

Format:     Print

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

FOUR HEARTS

Back in Austin and slowly but surely recovering from her caper with the CIA psychic Abby Cooper is planning her wedding to FBI Agent Dutch Rivers.  Well, she’s not exactly doing the planning.  It’s actually her sister Cat who is doing the planning.  Actually it’s more like orchestrating the invasion of Normandy given Cat’s love of attention to detail and a flair for the spectacular.  And that is so not Abby so Abby has engaged in her own plan which is to avoid Cat.  Meanwhile she has also been avoiding Dave, the contractor building her and Dutch’s future home.  Along with avoiding any of the details needed to be completed to move ahead with her marriage to Dutch, a mysterious new client appears in her office.

Ms. Smith…not her real name of course, appears in a wig, dark glasses and all but her face and nose covered up.  And her story is really quite strange—she professes to be an attorney who is aware that a client of her firm may have killed someone. Ms. Smith will say little, if anything, except she suspects foul play.  Not one to leave such an odd story alone, Abby engages her business partner, PI Candice Fusco, to join her in the search for this missing woman who Abby knows without a doubt is dead.  Can they find the killer before he strikes again?

After my disappointment with VISION IMPOSSIBLE, the Psychic Eye mystery just prior to this one, I was thrilled when LETHAL OUTLOOK had Abby back to being the character I love.  Laurie’s signature quick wit comes through not just Abby but Candice as well.  I did start to get a little bored by the repetitive references to her aching hips—reminded me of a co-worker of mine who starts every conversation with a litany of her aches and pains.  But kudos to Abby (and of course Ms. Laurie for her taking Abby in that direction) to have her goal being able to walk without her cane on her wedding day rather than a lot of other petty little details that could be raised.  That’s part of what I mean about Abby being the Abby I’ve come to consider one of the best mystery sleuths out there. 

Laurie does a great job with the twists and turns in this one, leading up to the killer being revealed.  She throws out just enough information for the reader to guess along with Abby and Candice and still be surprised at the outcome. 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

VISION IMPOSSIBLE by Victoria Laurie

Publisher:     NAL

Published:    June 5m 2012

ISBN:        978-0451235060

Genre:       Cozy Mystery

Format:     Print

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

THREE HEARTS

Settled in Austin with her beau Dutch Rivers, Abby Cooper’s life is moving along pretty nicely.  Slowly but surely she’s building up a clientele for her psychic readings and the house she and Dutch are building is moving along.  What more could a girl ask for?  And while Abby’s intuition can give her some pretty solid guidance, it can’t stop the storms that follow life’s calms.  And when the storm hits, it’s a call from Washington and the CIA.  A valuable piece of equipment has gone missing—a drone that can read auras.  After an intense week of training Dutch and Abby are on their way to Canada, the last known location of the drone.

No sooner do they arrive in Canada than someone sets Abby in their sites…and it’s not for a date.  Someone wants Abby out of the picture.  Can Abby and Dutch find the drone and get out of Canada before someone takes Abby out?

Victoria Laurie’s Psychic Eye series has been one of the most enjoyable and unique in the cozy mystery / mystery genre.  The premise has been refreshing and her characters are memorable.  VISION IMPOSSIBLE just didn’t do it for me.  I felt more than once that the author wasn’t liking the story and was struggling to tell it.  I don’t know what happened to Abby.  In prior books she was a quick witted, smart talking, confident woman.  In VISION IMPOSSIBLE she wasn’t likable for any number of reasons—the way she treated Dutch, the self-absorption…and where were her psychic abilities?  Her “crew” showed up maybe twice—whereas in the prior books, while invisible spirit guides, they certainly stepped up to help her out.  And who was taking care of Eggy and Tuttle while Abby and Dutch were sleuthing in Canada?

That said, I did like Maks and hope we’ll see more of him…but please, not in a love triangle! 

I’m not about to give up on the series.  Every author has at least one book in a series that just isn’t up there with all of them…we all have moments like that and I hope this is an anomaly rather than a trend because this has been one super series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.