AND THEY DANCED

The Tess Corona Chronicles, Book 1

by

Tiffany Seitz

Paranormal Suspense / Urban Fantasy

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Date of Publication: March 6, 2023

Number of Pages: 352 pages

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Tess Corona left home thanks to a traumatic experience with the paranormal and has only recently returned home from a secretive military career. Her only desire is to reconnect with her family and find meaningful work. That plan changes when a Texas Ranger lands on her doorstep looking for her twin brother.

Thanks to the suspicious actions of a murder victim’s family, Texas Ranger Crock Ward is asked to investigate the twenty-five-year-old case. With the evidence missing and victim’s husband now deceased, Crock seeks alternatives to solve the murder in the form of Dr. Lazaro Corona and his ghost hunting team.

Laz has dreamed of combining cold cases with paranormal investigation, but he curses the timing. He can’t stop Tess from resuming her role in his investigation any more than he can stop a tornado or a century-old feud that has already destroyed one family and now threatens his.

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This book has the perfect blend of paranormal, mystery/suspense, ghosts, and even a bit of romance. I don’t know if the author plans to make this a series (it does say book 1 in a few places), but she should! I can see future cases with Tess, Laz, and Crock. There is a smidge at the ending that leads one to believe this might happen…fingers crossed!

Tess is a bit lost after leaving the military. For now, she is living with her brother, niece, and grandmother until she can figure out what to do with her life. I can understand her weariness and uncertainty regarding her future. She is suffering from some PTSD from some situations that she is keeping close to the vest. The truth does eventually come out, and it is a bit of a surprise to everyone. There are a few hints that it is more than she lets on, but not many.

Laz is a professor at TCU but has other dreams for his career. He enjoys researching cultural rituals, which allows him to provide insight into this case that Crock has brought to them. I found his knowledge fascinating, and it brings a different dynamic to solving the crime at hand.

Crock is a handsome Texas Ranger trying to get back to 100% after an event puts him on medical leave. However, after working with Tess and Laz, he learns a little bit more about himself, and I think it even gives him more confidence than he had before.

The rest of the Corona family is quite a hoot. Gram acts crazy, but she really isn’t. There are some facts that are shared toward the end of the book that shine a new light on her abilities. Laz’s daughter is quite precocious for a three-year-old. I can only imagine what it is like dealing with her on a daily basis since she seems wise for her years.

The interactions between Tess, Laz, and Crock reflect the type of team they could become if they decide to go down this path. All three have some psychic ability, which makes them a formidable team while trying to solve the unsolved murder of Esme Green. The answer just might surprise you once all is revealed. I enjoyed following the path and trying to determine what actually happened and who was to blame. I can tell you right now I did not uncover the truth.

This book was hard for me to put down. I wanted to understand more, uncover more clues, and I rooted for a spark between Tess and Crock to lead to a relationship. It didn’t hurt that the book is set in my part of Texas. I could imagine the various locations around town, which helped me brush a clearer picture in my mind. I enjoyed the full cast of characters and can envision a full series.

We give this book 5 paws up.

Tiffany (T. A.) Seitz is a 7th generation native Texan, married with two daughters and one wonderful granddaughter. She discovered her love of writing in 2013, publishing her first independent novel, If You Touch My Mind, in the summer of 2015. Since then, she’s published several novels and has a story in Next Chapters Unleashed: A Beachy Anthology. When she’s not writing, she works as an occupational therapist and spends her free time reading, writing, and crocheting.

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