Review and Giveaway: Extra Sensory Deception

Extra Sensory Deception (Raven's Nest Book Store - Book 4) by Allison Kingsley

Publication Date: 08/05/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 288
ISBN-10: 0425271382
ISBN-13: 978-0425271384

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Sensation)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Allison Kingsley (aka. Doreen Roberts Hight, Karens Kingsbury and Rebecca Kent) on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Raven's Nest Bookstore

1. Mind Over Murder
2. A Sinister Sense
3. Trouble Vision
4. Extra Sensory Deception

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Extra Sensory Deception, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature

Synopsis:

As the owners of the Raven’s Nest bookstore, cousins Stephanie and Clara Quinn are the premier booksellers in the quaint town of Finn’s Harbor, Maine. But with Clara’s inherited ability to read minds and see the future, she’s also the premier crime solver… 
 
You don’t have to be a psychic to know: The rodeo is coming to town! Clara’s boyfriend, Rick Sanders, invites her to the show to meet his high school buddy and expert calf roper, Wes Carlton. But when Clara’s Quinn Sense offers her a disturbing vision involving a rodeo clown, she worries that there will be more danger at the rodeo than just the traditional bucking bronco.
 
Of course, her premonition turns out to be accurate, and a dead body is discovered behind the concert stage, strangled by Wes’s piggin’ string. Rick is sure that there’s no way Wes could have murdered anyone, but he’s going to need Clara’s Quinn Sense to keep the authorities from roping the wrong suspect... 

Thoughts:

Extra Sensory Deception is the fourth book in the Raven's Nest Bookstore mystery series by Allison Kingsley. Kingsley use of the paranormal is a joy to read. The heroine, Clara has inherited her families sixth sense, and she uses it to solve crimes in the quaint little town of Finn's Harbor, Maine. Readers will love the setting, be intrigued by characters and engaged by the intricate mystery. The rodeo has come to town and a killer may be with it. It's up to Clara, Stephanie and their friends to figure out whodunit!

What I liked:

Back a long time ago when I first started reading, books paranormal elements were much more rare than they are today. The didn't have a lot of werewolves, or vampires and relied a lot on the readers perceptions of what was normal and what was not to drive them. I appreciate that Allison Kingsley takes readers back in a sense, when ESP (extra sensory perception) was one of the main paranormal events along with aliens and maybe a ghost or two. Clara's "Quinn Sense" is intriguing, if a bit haphazard. The fact that is unpredictable at best, makes it that much more believable. It adds a lot to the story, from her conversations with her dog, Tatters to her visions of what might be about to happen. Kingsley takes and old school approach to the paranormal and I like it.

Clara's relationship with her cousin Stephanie has always interested me in this series. Both are only children and very different from each other. But the way they work together is amazing. Stephanie is quick on the draw, very spontaneous and full of surprises, while Clara is more reflective and introspective. She is ponderer, a thinker. I like both approaches and think that Kingsley uses both her advantage in this series. 

As usual, I love the Maine setting for this series. I always think of Maine as being full of little fishing villages and things. I couldn't imagine a rodeo coming to a town in Maine of all places until I read this book. And believe it or not, it actually worked. I liked the behind the scenes aspect of the rodeo and Rick's connection to Wes. I thought it made for a very interesting mystery with some unconventional suspects. I admit I was really surprised at how it all came together in the end and how Clara's ESP worked into the story line. 

What I didn't like:

I will be the first to say that I enjoy Clara's relationship with hardware store owner, Rick. But I don't understand why she still hasn't confided in Rick about her gifts. We are four books into the series and I think it's time she starts to trust Rick and herself and what she is able to do. She treats it more like a curse and I'm not sure how long readers will buy that.

Bottom Line:

This is a great series and I love just about everything about it from the book store theme to the beautiful Maine setting. The mystery aspect in Extra Sensory Deception was well written and kept me engaged throughout the book. I liked the addition of the rodeo and the characters it brought with it. I love Tatters and now Edgar and can't wait to read the next one. 

Extra Sensory Deception is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Check out the quote from Debbie's Book Bag on the first page inside the cover!

About the Author:

Allison Kingsley is the national bestselling author of the Raven's Nest mystery series, including Trouble Vision, A Sinister Sense, and Mind Over Murder.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Extra Sensory Deception by Allison Kingsley.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, September 11th.

1. Please leave a comment about your favorite rodeo activity.

2. Please fill out the FORM.