For the past 5 weeks I’ve had a significant pain in my right foot. Now, before you get all preachy on me, yes, I went to the doctor. Oh, when? Well, so I delayed a little. When I first noticed it we were headed to the mountains for a week in a cabin and had stopped at a state park for a few minutes. I looked down and saw some ants crawling around on my foot, so when it started to hurt I naturally figured I’d been bitten. I treated it and waited for it to get better.
A couple of weeks later, I had a doctor’s appointment and since the foot was still bothering me, I thought it would be wise to talk with her about the foot. See? I do get medical advise once in a while. She said, no, she didn’t think it was ants, and perhaps I should see an orthopedist.
You can imagine how ecstatic I was at that prospect. Anyway, since the referral took an age, I decided it would really be all right to wait and let things work out on their own. All right, all right, I know I need to manage my own health. Lecture received and acknowledged.
Anyway, after several weeks waiting with no word from the health equipment company about the boot the doctor ordered, nor from the orthopedist, I finally got the message that indeed, and as always, I am responsible for my own well being. So, I called and made an appointment with the orthopedist, he happened to have one the next day…lucky me.
When I saw him, he assured me he had boots at his office and that was no problem. Then he gave me the choice of boot or MRI. Being the conservative person I am, at least where medical tests, etc. are concerned, i chose the boot. That’s how I wound up as I am now, in my living room, taking pictures of said boot, and writing about it for this blog. Oh, that is when I’m not reading.
That’s right, I’ve been spending the last two days with music in the background, reading a delightful book. I just finished it this morning, and since it’s due to be published on October 27, 2020; I figured I would write this to tell you about it. That gives you just enough time to order it from your local bookstore or get on the waiting list if your library is ordering it. If it’s not, you might drop a word in the librarian’s ear. This is a good book, and a good series for people who enjoy lighthearted mystery books for entertainment. What’s the book? Curses are for Cads by Tamara Berry. It’s the third in a series and I do suggest you may want to start with the first one. They are all equally enjoyable. For more information, here’s my review.
***
Madame Eleanor is a fraud, just ask her. Sure, she agrees to come to your home and exorcise whatever evil spirit is plaguing you; for a fee of course. The money is well spent, she leaves her clients relieved of their worries, the houses free of evil spirits, everyone more at ease. Only Madame Eleanor and her now boyfriend, Nicholas know that these results are the effect of some well timed electronic sounds, perhaps a well nailed board where there was once a loose step, that sort of thing.
How then, do you ask, does she justify charging people a fee for performing these mostly worldly tasks in what she sells as an “otherworldly” manner? She would say it’s because by carefully listening and understanding, prowling the premises to find the source of noise, other strictly mundane tasks, she gathers an understanding of her clients and the best way to alleviate their current sense of stress and fear.
What about her dead sister’s voice? You ask. She doesn’t have an explanation for that. She just knows that sometimes Winnie now speaks to her, when she least expects it, and sometimes offers good information. Of course, sometimes she offers caution, which Madame Eleanor, Ellie to her friends, ignores. How did this come about? For that you need to read the first book in the series.
In this, the third book in this delightfully quirky series, Madame Eleanor is offered the chance to find a hoard of cursed gold somewhere in an isolated castle, located in the oceans of the Hebrides. For this opportunity she gladly forgives her boyfriend for canceling their snorkeling trip to Malta. Of course, that’s before he is called to the Minister of Education and sends her on ahead via a train instead of his luxurious private plane. This is just the beginning of numerous unpleasant surprises in store for Madame Eleanor.
Once at the castle, she begins to suspect that the original owner died, not of a heart attack but was murdered. Between that and having another “medium” attach herself to Ellie on the train and accompany her on to the castle are just the start of her stumbling blocks. In a tale that includes missing luggage, two charming, rascal twin boys, a brother and sister who wholeheartedly believe in the existence of the gold and it’s “curse”, Ellie has almost more than she can handle. Good thing she really is as good as she thinks when it comes to ferreting out the truth, understanding others, and, just perhaps, in having a little help from “beyond” although she would be quick to question that.
The book itself is well written, quick paced, and wonderfully light entertainment. The story builds to a well-executed crescendo, which will have the readers staying up late, if not for the entire book, at least for the last few chapters. If you enjoy mysteries with a dash of humor and, maybe, a bit of the paranormal, then this is the series for you. While this mystery stands alone, this series is definitely one that is best enjoyed by starting at the beginning and reading the books in order. It gives you a chance to develop a greater understanding of Ellie’s relationships with some recurring characters.
I would like to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this novel. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
***
Hopefully I’ve piqued your interest and you are going to run right out and get a copy of this book, along with a few others if you are like me and in need of some light entertainment at present. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going back to my boot, er my next book. Happy Reading.
