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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Oh man. This book. I like to think of myself as not necessarily a literary snob, but someone who reads good books and casts aside the far less ~deep & thought-provoking~ tales. Sometimes, though, you need some fluff in your life. I had never before heard of cozy mysteries, much less read one prior to coming across this book. ..I do believe I have discovered a new favorite genre. :)
2011 has been a rebirth for me when it comes to literature. I've been going out on a limb, branching out and trying things I normally would run away from. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye was one of my latest dapples into unfamiliar territory.
As much as I wanted to turn tail and run, I manned up and dove into this book with an open (but sliiightly hesitant) mind.
Much to my surprise, the book was great! Not my favorite, but definitely far better than I had anticipated. I did, however, have a problem with all the eye-rolling that went on. Also, it seems that 1st person narratives use a mirror as their go-to device for describing a character's looks. Abby Cooper, Private Eye was no different. Abby's description came off as very Mary Sue-ish to me: waist-length hair, an oh-so-super high metabolism, etc.
I was extremely interested with how the author explained what receiving visions and seeing auras are like. It took away from the fluff factor a bit without launching into long-winded lectures about what being psychic really entails.
Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye was a really fun, extremely quick read. Immediately after finishing this book, I snatched up the rest of the series and cannot wait to sink in.
2011 has been a rebirth for me when it comes to literature. I've been going out on a limb, branching out and trying things I normally would run away from. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye was one of my latest dapples into unfamiliar territory.
In the Royal Oak suburb of Detroit, thirtysomething Abby Cooper lives a life that’s kind of like vanilla ice cream—good enough, but a little bland. Her work as a P.I—psychic intuitive—can be rewarding, but she feels like somehow she’s missing out on the hot fudge topping…
Now she’s getting what she wished for—as one of her clients turns up dead and the clues start pointing in Abby’s direction. She just knows too many details about the murder for her own good. To make matters worse, the hot blind date she just met turns out to be the lead investigator on the case. And gorgeous Detective Dutch Rivers is convinced she’s a fraud.
No matter how great her psychic abilities are, Abby isn’t completely sure she can solve this case. Unfortunately for her, though, the killer’s pretty convinced…
As much as I wanted to turn tail and run, I manned up and dove into this book with an open (but sliiightly hesitant) mind.
Much to my surprise, the book was great! Not my favorite, but definitely far better than I had anticipated. I did, however, have a problem with all the eye-rolling that went on. Also, it seems that 1st person narratives use a mirror as their go-to device for describing a character's looks. Abby Cooper, Private Eye was no different. Abby's description came off as very Mary Sue-ish to me: waist-length hair, an oh-so-super high metabolism, etc.
I was extremely interested with how the author explained what receiving visions and seeing auras are like. It took away from the fluff factor a bit without launching into long-winded lectures about what being psychic really entails.
Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye was a really fun, extremely quick read. Immediately after finishing this book, I snatched up the rest of the series and cannot wait to sink in.
This book begins when Abby goes on a date who she thinks will work out, but he ends up being someone she didn't think he was after she is being accused of being involved in a murder. One of her clients is dead, and Abby feels guilty because she should have "seen" it coming, but she didn't. Now, she is going to do everything she can to find the murder before it too late.
This book was really good, and a great start to the series. I enjoyed Abby's humor, and her abilities as well.
The only downside to this book was the fact that Abby had some major memory problems that were a bit annoying. And Dutch was seriously a jerk, like major asshole territory here that bothered me greatly. But I do look forward to more in the rest of the series.
This book was really good, and a great start to the series. I enjoyed Abby's humor, and her abilities as well.
The only downside to this book was the fact that Abby had some major memory problems that were a bit annoying. And Dutch was seriously a jerk, like major asshole territory here that bothered me greatly. But I do look forward to more in the rest of the series.
I was bopping around Goodreads, avoiding homework as one does, and stumbled on a list of the top cozy mysteries. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye ranked near the top along some of my other favorites, so I decided to give it a try.
Except you know, psychics? I did not have high expectations. Call me a mystery snob, but my initial inclination was to dismiss the book as a breach of the rules of detective fiction. You don't let your heroine follow her 'womanly intuition.' You don't have ghosts lead the hero to the answer. And - I thought before reading this book - you certainly don't let your heroine solve mysteries with the help of some supernatural ability. That's like...cheating.
(And also, Psych. This has been done before - I thought. I now know I was wrong, as this came out two years before Psych and has little in comparison except for psychics and mysteries.)
ANYWAY. All that to say, I found this book a pleasant surprise. I think I just found myself a new favorite cozy series.
Here is what the author does really well:
- Abby Cooper. I loved her as a heroine. For someone in touch with her "inner voices," she's consistently cranky. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She blows up often. The thing is (and part of the reason this book did not reach higher than 3 stars), this isn't evident at the beginning. Her strong personality only shines through for the last 2/3rds of the book. Initially she seems kind of mopey. I hope her personality continues to grow with the series.
- The psychic stuff. I like how the author treats Abby's job as a psychic like she might any other profession. Abby could be a nail tech or a banker. She enjoys her job and the passion comes through, but at the end of the day, it is a job. It made it seem less like 'cheating' when she could pinpoint stuff about the murder.
- The mystery. It is dark. And while I never succumbed to the to the spine-chilling numbness of a good horror, a few times I told myself to put the book down and read something else before going to bed to avoid nightmares. Because it is dark, once again Abby's abilities do not come across as 'cheating.' The reader knows what she knows. Arguably more, since Abby often forgets. Which leads me to the next point...
- The timeline. Time passes. And Abby lives and reacts to the time passing. So, for example, she will have a reading...and promptly forget about what she told the person, because in her mind, that was 8 clients ago. Now, the reading is fresh in the reader's mind because it was one chapter ago. But it felt much more believable that Abby - who treats her abilities like a job and not like some great mystical quest to remember everything - doesn't bother remembering clients or readings. I liked that aspect a lot.
- Finally, I just really liked Abby's relationship with her sister. It was sweet. I did think the 'absent parents' trope was pounded a little too hard. One or two mentions might have sufficed. Constant repetition slowed it down.
This book exceeded my expectations significantly. However, in doing so, it left me restless for more. The romance was...okay. The climax just a little too convenient. The writing just a little too...average. So while this is on the high side of 3 stars, it is still solidly 3 stars. I already have the sequel on hold, though!
Except you know, psychics? I did not have high expectations. Call me a mystery snob, but my initial inclination was to dismiss the book as a breach of the rules of detective fiction. You don't let your heroine follow her 'womanly intuition.' You don't have ghosts lead the hero to the answer. And - I thought before reading this book - you certainly don't let your heroine solve mysteries with the help of some supernatural ability. That's like...cheating.
(And also, Psych. This has been done before - I thought. I now know I was wrong, as this came out two years before Psych and has little in comparison except for psychics and mysteries.)
ANYWAY. All that to say, I found this book a pleasant surprise. I think I just found myself a new favorite cozy series.
Here is what the author does really well:
- Abby Cooper. I loved her as a heroine. For someone in touch with her "inner voices," she's consistently cranky. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She blows up often. The thing is (and part of the reason this book did not reach higher than 3 stars), this isn't evident at the beginning. Her strong personality only shines through for the last 2/3rds of the book. Initially she seems kind of mopey. I hope her personality continues to grow with the series.
- The psychic stuff. I like how the author treats Abby's job as a psychic like she might any other profession. Abby could be a nail tech or a banker. She enjoys her job and the passion comes through, but at the end of the day, it is a job. It made it seem less like 'cheating' when she could pinpoint stuff about the murder.
- The mystery. It is dark. And while I never succumbed to the to the spine-chilling numbness of a good horror, a few times I told myself to put the book down and read something else before going to bed to avoid nightmares. Because it is dark, once again Abby's abilities do not come across as 'cheating.' The reader knows what she knows. Arguably more, since Abby often forgets. Which leads me to the next point...
- The timeline. Time passes. And Abby lives and reacts to the time passing. So, for example, she will have a reading...and promptly forget about what she told the person, because in her mind, that was 8 clients ago. Now, the reading is fresh in the reader's mind because it was one chapter ago. But it felt much more believable that Abby - who treats her abilities like a job and not like some great mystical quest to remember everything - doesn't bother remembering clients or readings. I liked that aspect a lot.
- Finally, I just really liked Abby's relationship with her sister. It was sweet. I did think the 'absent parents' trope was pounded a little too hard. One or two mentions might have sufficed. Constant repetition slowed it down.
This book exceeded my expectations significantly. However, in doing so, it left me restless for more. The romance was...okay. The climax just a little too convenient. The writing just a little too...average. So while this is on the high side of 3 stars, it is still solidly 3 stars. I already have the sequel on hold, though!
Not bad, took me a little while to get into it for some reason but I'll read the next in the series. I also want to try her other series, Ghost Hunter Mysteries.
A fun introduction to Abby Cooper and her world.
A main character with psychic powers who is likable and despite her tendency to make wrong assumptions (especially regarding Dutch) and keep information to herself when she shouldn't, keeps her moments of stupidity to a minimum.
The audiobook was enjoyable, with the narrator's interpretation for Abby being vivid and upbeat, but I would have preferred more distinct male voices.
The plot is engaging, the characters colorful and this was all in all a fun, light read. I'm looking forward to Abby's next adventures in [b:Better Read Than Dead|574963|Better Read Than Dead (Psychic Eye Mystery, #2)|Victoria Laurie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388276601s/574963.jpg|561950].
A main character with psychic powers who is likable and despite her tendency to make wrong assumptions (especially regarding Dutch) and keep information to herself when she shouldn't, keeps her moments of stupidity to a minimum.
The audiobook was enjoyable, with the narrator's interpretation for Abby being vivid and upbeat, but I would have preferred more distinct male voices.
The plot is engaging, the characters colorful and this was all in all a fun, light read. I'm looking forward to Abby's next adventures in [b:Better Read Than Dead|574963|Better Read Than Dead (Psychic Eye Mystery, #2)|Victoria Laurie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388276601s/574963.jpg|561950].
Check out my full review on my Lisa Latte Booktube Channel at https://youtu.be/kmHnUAdy0Vo
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This was a nice, quick read. The plot was predictable although the characters were three dimensional enough to keep it entertaining. I probably won't read/listen to other books in this series.
**Find this and other reviews, plus fun stuff, on my blogs! Booklikes or Blogspot**
Basic Info
Format: Kindle
Pages/Length: 304pgs
Genre: Mystery; Paranormal
Reason For Reading: I liked the bio.
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: Nope.
Cliff Hanger: No.
Triggers: Suicide.
Rating: 4 Stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 7
Plot: 9
Characters: 9
World Building: 8
Flow: 10
b>Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 8
Ending: 10
Total: 9/10
In Depth
Best Part: Twist and turns.
Worst Part: Dutch.
Thoughts Had: Pretty good start.
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: yes
Recommending: yes
Short Review: What can i say, i like cozy mysteries! I really liked Abby, connected with her real quick, and love her dog Eggy! The plot was good, i really didn't see the killer coming at all, nor did i see some of the other things so that's always good. I hated Dutch thou, and dumb nickname btw, he was all over the damn place; super nice to Abby, then a total dick, wanted to play only by the rules, then throw the rules out the window,
Spoiler
TOO BAD THEY FREAKING KILLED HER!Misc.
Book Boyfriend: Pass.
Best Friend Material: Abby!