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phyrre's review
4.0
Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded to 4)
In her sequel to the paranormal mystery Delia's Shadow, Jaime Lee Moyer ups the stakes and brings out the big guns. The cast we've come to know and love from the first book are back, only things have happened since the first book. Namely, life.
Jack and Sadie now have a baby, and Delia and Gabe lost theirs. In fact, it's quite possible that they'll never be able to have children due to the toll seeing spirits takes on Delia (though, frustratingly, this is never explained or elaborated on). This might explain why it's so troubling that they're being haunted by the ghost of a child, one that seems to be zeroed in on Gabe. Even more troubling are the cult-like murders happening in San Francisco. They quickly realize there's something more sinister than just murder going on behind the scenes when they learn that one of the victim's souls was stolen.
A Barricade in Hell is an easy-to-read page-turner with an intriguing enough mystery. Delia herself is quite a boring character, but she's surrounded by very lively, interesting characters that carry the plot well. The killer is obvious by about a third of the way through the book, and at that point it's just a matter of "proof," but then again, the book's not really much of a whodunnit, so I can't really fault it for that. If you're reading this for plot, you're in for a treat; if you're reading for a solid mystery, look elsewhere.
So why the rating? A couple big reasons that really jump out:
- The elements are there to make the story great, but they're not tied together. The little girl spirit haunting Gabe and powerful enough to thwart Delia's barriers is fantastic, but unexplained. There's no reasoning why she's so strong or how she knows to seek out Gabe in the first place or even her anger towards Delia. Considering this is a major plot point in the beginning, it's a bit annoying how it's glossed over. Also, I'm not sure this is a spoiler, but I'm going to hide it as such anyway, just in case.
- The denouement was disappointing. The climax was exciting and left a lot of questions, but then it ended so easily. I mean, everything literally neatly fell into the main characters' laps to draw everything to a close, and after the climax, the sense of danger just deflated. I felt like it was over at that point, because everything the characters needed was neatly handed to them, so there was no real struggle.
- The antagonists' motives are sort of explained ... briefly. They're touched on. It's not elaborated on, and there's pretty much no wrap-up there. There are so many loose ends, especially in regards to all the spirits Delia sees. As this is pretty much the only thing of interest about her, the fact that the spirits mostly serve as a backdrop prompt in this book is a bit disappointing. Sure, they're mentioned, and it seems like things about them should be interesting (trying not to give spoilers about any particular moment), but then the idea is never revisited, and in the end, only the little girl's ghost is explained and pans out as something tied up in the end.
- One of the major murders involves a Chinese man and his daughter. The man's soul is stolen, and the daughter's is not. However, the reasoning behind his daughter's murder is never explained. It's also never explained why her soul wasn't stolen. Since the book made such a big deal over this murder, in particular, as she was young and innocent, it seems like a big thing to leave out.
With all that being said, I did enjoy reading the book, and even though I knew who did it, the bigger mystery was in how and why, and that held my attention. My favorite part was definitely the rhymes from the little girl. They were clever and cute, especially after I realized that there were big hints about her identity and what was going on in them. I thought that was quite clever.
In her sequel to the paranormal mystery Delia's Shadow, Jaime Lee Moyer ups the stakes and brings out the big guns. The cast we've come to know and love from the first book are back, only things have happened since the first book. Namely, life.
Jack and Sadie now have a baby, and Delia and Gabe lost theirs. In fact, it's quite possible that they'll never be able to have children due to the toll seeing spirits takes on Delia (though, frustratingly, this is never explained or elaborated on). This might explain why it's so troubling that they're being haunted by the ghost of a child, one that seems to be zeroed in on Gabe. Even more troubling are the cult-like murders happening in San Francisco. They quickly realize there's something more sinister than just murder going on behind the scenes when they learn that one of the victim's souls was stolen.
A Barricade in Hell is an easy-to-read page-turner with an intriguing enough mystery. Delia herself is quite a boring character, but she's surrounded by very lively, interesting characters that carry the plot well. The killer is obvious by about a third of the way through the book, and at that point it's just a matter of "proof," but then again, the book's not really much of a whodunnit, so I can't really fault it for that. If you're reading this for plot, you're in for a treat; if you're reading for a solid mystery, look elsewhere.
So why the rating? A couple big reasons that really jump out:
- The elements are there to make the story great, but they're not tied together. The little girl spirit haunting Gabe and powerful enough to thwart Delia's barriers is fantastic, but unexplained. There's no reasoning why she's so strong or how she knows to seek out Gabe in the first place or even her anger towards Delia. Considering this is a major plot point in the beginning, it's a bit annoying how it's glossed over. Also, I'm not sure this is a spoiler, but I'm going to hide it as such anyway, just in case.
Spoiler
There's a big deal made about Gabe's sister, whom he never mentions, who died when he was little. There's no backstory given about her, no actual explanation as to how she died, and the connection with her seems tenuous, at best. From what I gathered, the little girl sort of bears a resemblance to her and that's it. His sister was just a poorly developed red herring that, in the end, amounted to nothing and left me disappointed.- The denouement was disappointing. The climax was exciting and left a lot of questions, but then it ended so easily. I mean, everything literally neatly fell into the main characters' laps to draw everything to a close, and after the climax, the sense of danger just deflated. I felt like it was over at that point, because everything the characters needed was neatly handed to them, so there was no real struggle.
- The antagonists' motives are sort of explained ... briefly. They're touched on. It's not elaborated on, and there's pretty much no wrap-up there. There are so many loose ends, especially in regards to all the spirits Delia sees. As this is pretty much the only thing of interest about her, the fact that the spirits mostly serve as a backdrop prompt in this book is a bit disappointing. Sure, they're mentioned, and it seems like things about them should be interesting (trying not to give spoilers about any particular moment), but then the idea is never revisited, and in the end, only the little girl's ghost is explained and pans out as something tied up in the end.
- One of the major murders involves a Chinese man and his daughter. The man's soul is stolen, and the daughter's is not. However, the reasoning behind his daughter's murder is never explained. It's also never explained why her soul wasn't stolen. Since the book made such a big deal over this murder, in particular, as she was young and innocent, it seems like a big thing to leave out.
With all that being said, I did enjoy reading the book, and even though I knew who did it, the bigger mystery was in how and why, and that held my attention. My favorite part was definitely the rhymes from the little girl. They were clever and cute, especially after I realized that there were big hints about her identity and what was going on in them. I thought that was quite clever.
colls's review
3.0
This wasn't quite as strong as the first book in the series and it ended too abruptly, but it held some interesting elements. It doesn't take up immediately after the events of book 1, but after some time has passed. Jack and Sadie are in the midst of beginning a family and Sadie is pushed to the side caring for her child. Dora, however, is still present (thankfully! she's by far the most interesting character of the series) and frankly if this book was written from her POV I think it'd have been much more interesting. Gabe and Jack continue to be the buddy-cops of the pre-WWI era and the San Fransisco descriptions/setting was engaging, particularly Chinatown.
Delia and Gabe make a good couple, and I like their mutual respect and admiration. I don't know that the way they drew Randy into their circle made sense, but it was expedient and served the plot to have him in the tale so I forgave the rushed and awkward way he arrived.
I'll continue the series in the hopes that some of the world building about ghosts and the supernatural in general is fleshed out, but I suspect it's not in the (tarot) cards.
Delia and Gabe make a good couple, and I like their mutual respect and admiration. I don't know that the way they drew Randy into their circle made sense, but it was expedient and served the plot to have him in the tale so I forgave the rushed and awkward way he arrived.
I'll continue the series in the hopes that some of the world building about ghosts and the supernatural in general is fleshed out, but I suspect it's not in the (tarot) cards.
jay_mack9712's review
5.0
This was just as good as the first one. Moyer does such a great job creating such a wonderful world for the readers can get lost into. Once again the ghost and mystery element of the story blend so well together, making it such a great reader. Although it did get a little spooky at parts. But I am so glad I get to start the third now, because I am not ready to let go of Delia and Gabe as well as Dora and Jack .
cpcabaniss's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this novel. Delia and Gabe have such a solid relationship. I love the historical aspect and the paranormal stuff is interesting without being over the top. Great characters and an interesting story. You can read my full review on my blog here: http://courtneysreads.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-barricade-in-helljaime-lee-moyer.html
krisrid's review
5.0
I loved book 1 in this series, and book 2 was even better!
This author really knows how to tell a story. This book had a well-conceived plot, a great balance of character development and suspenseful action, and wonderful pacing. I had a hard time putting this book down once I'd started it.
The characters in this series are absolutely wonderful! Delia and Gabe are so likable and relatable and they feel like real people. People you would like to be friends with if they were real people. The development of their personalities and their relationship in this second book was a perfect next step from the first book.
I also like the supporting characters in this series, especially Dora! She is a delightful fire-cracker, and provides plenty of snap and some comic relief at the perfect time. I love her!!
The paranormal aspect of this series is interesting, and really draws the reader in. Delia's and Dora's connection with spirits offers plenty of opportunity for future books.
I can't wait to read the third book in this series, because this one was as terrific as the first book!
This author really knows how to tell a story. This book had a well-conceived plot, a great balance of character development and suspenseful action, and wonderful pacing. I had a hard time putting this book down once I'd started it.
The characters in this series are absolutely wonderful! Delia and Gabe are so likable and relatable and they feel like real people. People you would like to be friends with if they were real people. The development of their personalities and their relationship in this second book was a perfect next step from the first book.
I also like the supporting characters in this series, especially Dora! She is a delightful fire-cracker, and provides plenty of snap and some comic relief at the perfect time. I love her!!
The paranormal aspect of this series is interesting, and really draws the reader in. Delia's and Dora's connection with spirits offers plenty of opportunity for future books.
I can't wait to read the third book in this series, because this one was as terrific as the first book!
maimy_santiago99's review
4.0
picked this one up at the library, but didn't realize it was the second of a series. I suspect the 2 novels' stories are self contained enough that it's not a huge deal that I hadn't read the first one, but I enjoyed this one so much I'll probably go back and read the first anyway. The main characters of the series are a married couple during the first world war. he's a cop, she sees ghosts, and together they solve mysteries. sounds goofy, I know, but the writing absolutely makes it.
angienagie's review
4.0
Originally posted at Disquietus Reads
Jaime Lee Moyer’s sequel to Delia’s Shadow is happily even more enjoyable than it’s predecessor. Returning to this world and these characters was just like visiting old friends. The mystery at the heart of the story was even creepier and more intriguing (child poltergeist? NO THANK YOU HARD PASS RUN AWAY WHILE YOU CAN) and the writing showed definitive improvement.
Moyer’s writing has a quiet, steady beauty that greatly appeals to me. In A Barricade in Hell she has crafted an excellent story with fascinating characters that gives the reader a glimpse into historical San Francisco in a way that made me feel as if I was there with the characters the entire time. The many plot threaders were seamlessly tied together with perfect pacing. Gone are the overwhelmingly detailed descriptions that I found difficult to push through while reading the first book. The dual POV still works very well for this series. Gabe and Delia have very distinct voices and the switch between is never jarring. This time around we have two separate mysteries we are trying to solve. On Delia’s end there is a poltergeist haunting her husband while Gabe in investigating a series of disappearances and murders possibly connected to a visiting evangelist. It was all very interesting and well put together.
If I had one wish for the plot though, it would be that I hadn’t solved it myself so early on. While there was one thing I didn’t connect until almost right before the characters did, I still figured out the rest of it way early. There is also a thing that happens in the end with Isadora and another character that I am still on the fence about. While I liked the end result, I’m not sure I like the way it came about, although it was definitely a likely thing to happen, historically (DOES ANY OF THIS MAKE SENSE I DON’T EVEN KNOW).
Really the only actual fault I could find with this book is that I struggle to connect with the characters. While the character development is excellent, and I like all of them just fine (especially Isadora because she is flawless), I just don’t connect with them in the way I normally hope to with the books I read. Delia is an admirable heroine. She’s smart and brave, but at times she’s just a little too quiet and passive for my tastes. She also seemed to be lacking a lot of the spirit and sass I admired in her from the first book, although there are reasons for this I think. I also greatly missed Sadie’s brightening presence in this book.
However, the fact that I enjoyed it as much as I did without being able to connect to the characters is really just a testament to the strength of the writing. 99% of the time my enjoyment of a novel is directly correlated to how I feel about/connect with the characters. Barricade is one of those rare unicorns that I enjoyed completely based on the strength of the writing and plot. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or mysteries and especially if you like both.
(I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
Jaime Lee Moyer’s sequel to Delia’s Shadow is happily even more enjoyable than it’s predecessor. Returning to this world and these characters was just like visiting old friends. The mystery at the heart of the story was even creepier and more intriguing (child poltergeist? NO THANK YOU HARD PASS RUN AWAY WHILE YOU CAN) and the writing showed definitive improvement.
Moyer’s writing has a quiet, steady beauty that greatly appeals to me. In A Barricade in Hell she has crafted an excellent story with fascinating characters that gives the reader a glimpse into historical San Francisco in a way that made me feel as if I was there with the characters the entire time. The many plot threaders were seamlessly tied together with perfect pacing. Gone are the overwhelmingly detailed descriptions that I found difficult to push through while reading the first book. The dual POV still works very well for this series. Gabe and Delia have very distinct voices and the switch between is never jarring. This time around we have two separate mysteries we are trying to solve. On Delia’s end there is a poltergeist haunting her husband while Gabe in investigating a series of disappearances and murders possibly connected to a visiting evangelist. It was all very interesting and well put together.
If I had one wish for the plot though, it would be that I hadn’t solved it myself so early on. While there was one thing I didn’t connect until almost right before the characters did, I still figured out the rest of it way early. There is also a thing that happens in the end with Isadora and another character that I am still on the fence about. While I liked the end result, I’m not sure I like the way it came about, although it was definitely a likely thing to happen, historically (DOES ANY OF THIS MAKE SENSE I DON’T EVEN KNOW).
Really the only actual fault I could find with this book is that I struggle to connect with the characters. While the character development is excellent, and I like all of them just fine (especially Isadora because she is flawless), I just don’t connect with them in the way I normally hope to with the books I read. Delia is an admirable heroine. She’s smart and brave, but at times she’s just a little too quiet and passive for my tastes. She also seemed to be lacking a lot of the spirit and sass I admired in her from the first book, although there are reasons for this I think. I also greatly missed Sadie’s brightening presence in this book.
However, the fact that I enjoyed it as much as I did without being able to connect to the characters is really just a testament to the strength of the writing. 99% of the time my enjoyment of a novel is directly correlated to how I feel about/connect with the characters. Barricade is one of those rare unicorns that I enjoyed completely based on the strength of the writing and plot. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or mysteries and especially if you like both.
(I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
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