Perilous Things by Elizabeth Andre is a cozy mystery starring the members of the Paranormal Grievance Committee.
Lily is unhappy that her girlfriend Maya continues to commune with ghosts despite the bad physical effects. Penny runs into a roadblock in her relationship with Jess. Eddie and Steve are married but continue to bicker about perceived threats and old boyfriends. Lily’s little brother Jason suddenly becomes the most attractive man in the world and can have any woman he wants.
It’s just another day in the life of the Paranormal Grievance Committee, except that the mystical mayhem is hitting really close to home and threatens everyone’s life and happiness unless they find a way to stop it.
Writing
There are a lot of characters to follow in the fourth book of the Paranormal Grievance Committee series, giving the story a lot of angles to explore and follow. At first some of the stories seem unconnected but when they do converge it turns into a sometimes heavy hitting thriller. These haunts are not for the faint of heart. Of note are the scene transitions, which are a little different than normal and amps the thrill angle a bit.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
What seems a bit of a cozy mystery quickly becomes a dangerous game to people directly and indirectly involved. When the team itself is threatened, the threat feels very real with an edge of the seat thrill. Along the way the story takes some surprising turns so the reader is always a bit off balance. I had not read the first three books but I felt very comfortable with the characters and enjoyed reading some well done sleuthing that required a small amount of daring do.
I enjoyed the surrealistic quality of some of the passages as the author follows characters under a vicious spell. Events that might not make sense otherwise become believable and maintains a fun tension. I also enjoyed the diversity of the characters, with queer couples both female and male among the cast. This is not a romance in the sense that it’s about people finding love, but an emphasis on the paranormal story with a sneaky and powerful adversary.
Heads Up
Some magically induced dangers.
The Conclusion
This is the fourth book in the Paranormal Grievance Committee Chronicles, so the characters are set by this installment. I had little trouble catching up with all of them and the idea of the PGC, which made it easy to get caught up in the mystical dangers the group deals with this time around. The dangers are almost comical on the surface but serious and nasty in their execution. The romance angle is very understated in this book, though there is a bit of angst to be worked through.
Excerpt from Perilous Things by Elizabeth Andre
“Why you lookin’ so serious, Rosalie?”
Rosalie was jolted out of her thoughts by Henry Sandler, one of her favorite residents at the care center. He was an elderly man with surprisingly thick snowy white hair. He was a bit stooped and used a cane. She returned his smile and saw that he was in line with other residents to get on the bus that would take them to a local casino.
“Don’t waste all your money on one table, Mr. Sandler,” she said. Blackjack was his game.
“Ah, you know how it is. If a table gets hot, I stay there. Better odds.”
Another man in line sneered. “It’s all rigged. Hot tables. Better odds. It’s all kiddie fairytales.”
“Who asked you, killjoy?” Henry said, heated.
Rosalie sighed. Henry and this other man, Tony Garrett, had what would be described, if they were teenage girls, as a “frenemy” relationship. They relished the opportunity to bait each other. If they were younger, Rosalie thought, some of their arguments might have become physical.
“Besides,” Henry continued, “why are you coming if it’s all rigged?”
Tony shrugged. “It amuses me when you rub that little coin of yours while you’re playing.”
Henry waved a dismissive hand at Tony. “Shut up.” Rosalie said,
“What coin, Mr. Garrett? Do you have a lucky coin, Mr. Sandler?” This could be a clue to explain her newfound luck.
“He does. He takes it out of his pocket and rubs it between his thumb and index finger when he’s playing.” Tony enthusiastically mimicked the movement with his hands. “Right before he tells the dealer to stay or to hit him. Like it’s magic. Hilarious.”
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Series: Paranormal Grievance Committee Chronicles
The Curse of the Old Woods
Muses
The Soul of WBVR
Perilous Things
Bits and Bobs
ASIN number: B0CK6PM4MP
Publisher: Tulabella Ruby Press
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Note: I received a free review copy of Perilous Things by Elizabeth Andre. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
