Confound It (A Dreamwalker Mystery)

Paranormal Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Camel Press (June 1, 2018)
Paperback: 248 pages

Synopsis

While hosting out-of-town guests at her Georgia home, Dreamwalker Baxley Powell is called upon to help investigate a suspicious fire. One of her guests, close friend and fellow dreamwalker Deputy Sam Mayes, accompanies her to the scene.

A meth cook is dead, and when Baxley visits her beyond the Veil of Life, she determines that the woman was murdered. Baxley pities Mandy Patterson, a single mother with aspirations for her teenage son Doodle. Unconcerned about the death of a criminal, the authorities pursue the drug-supply chain angle. Baxley worries about Doodle and vows to find out who killed his mother.

As the case grows more baffling, Baxley struggles against her attraction to Sam. Although her husband is missing and declared dead, she does not feel free to love again until she is sure of his fate.

Two suspects have the strongest motive, but Baxley has reason to believe they are pawns in a deeper game. And unless she can stop them, the world will never be the same.

Review

I have not read the previous books in this series so when I picked this up I must not have realized it was the 5th in the series. While this book could be read on its own, it is very helpful to read the previous books to understand Baxley and her talents and the other characters. There is enough detail about past books where it is not hard to understand the characters, but as is with any series you are better starting off at the beginning!

That all said, this was quite a change from the cozies books I normally read. It felt more “hardcore” vs cozy. I’m not sure if I can pin it down exactly, but it was a feeling that I had while reading the book. I enjoyed getting to know Baxley and her ability to find out from the dead what exactly happened or get answers to questions that their loved ones might have back on earth. The spirits are not always cooperative as Baxley discovers when visiting the spirit realm.

The mystery itself was well written and while I suspected who the “bad guy” was, I didn’t know why. This character just set off my radar…but when it was revealed with the all the details – WOW is all I can say! Quite a twist that perhaps I might have expected had I read the first four books but perhaps not.

There is a romance between Baxley and Sam, but Baxley holds back due to her missing husband. There is some resolution to that situation in this book and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.

We give it 4 paws up

About The Author

Southern author Maggie Toussaint writes mystery, suspense, and dystopian fiction. Her work won the Silver Falchion Award for best mystery, the Readers’ Choice Award, and the EPIC Award. She’s published seventeen novels as well as several short stories and novellas. The next book in her paranormal mystery series, Dadgummit, releases August 2017. Maggie serves on the national board for Mystery Writers of America, is President of Southeast Mystery Writers of America, and is Co-VP of Low Country Sisters In Crime.

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