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wilsonkayla's review
5.0
Moving on to the second Chintz n’ China book, Legend of the Jade Dragon. Things pick up three month from the previous book, and Emerald is enjoying some local fame after solving a murder. Her tarot reading schedule is now jam packed and her tea shop is busier than ever. A depressed stranger comes in for a tarot reading, accidentally leaving a Jade dragon in the shop. Emerald chases him down to return it and the stranger is killed in a hit and run. This event kicks off a run of bad luck for Emerald, who now has a new mystery on her hands. She also manages to run afoul of tough biker Jimbo after she forcibly rejects his advances. Whew!
Legend of the Jade Dragon was stronger than the first book in this series, though both are very good. Unfortunately, Emerald is still dating Andrew from the previous book and he gets worse every time he appears on the page. Just a trash heap of a man. Never darken my bookshelf again. She also has a flirtation with Joe, who clearly adores her and is great. Hopefully he sticks around in the coming books. We got to learn a little bit more about Emerald’s friends and neighbors this time around, and the town is being fleshed out nicely. Emerald continues to be pretty no nonsense about life, which I fully appreciate. I just like her a lot and she grew on me even more this time. I’m very excited to see what trouble she gets into next time and to also never see Andrew again. He is truly the worst.
Legend of the Jade Dragon was stronger than the first book in this series, though both are very good. Unfortunately, Emerald is still dating Andrew from the previous book and he gets worse every time he appears on the page. Just a trash heap of a man. Never darken my bookshelf again. She also has a flirtation with Joe, who clearly adores her and is great. Hopefully he sticks around in the coming books. We got to learn a little bit more about Emerald’s friends and neighbors this time around, and the town is being fleshed out nicely. Emerald continues to be pretty no nonsense about life, which I fully appreciate. I just like her a lot and she grew on me even more this time. I’m very excited to see what trouble she gets into next time and to also never see Andrew again. He is truly the worst.
kathydavie's review
4.0
Second in the Chintz 'n China paranormal fantasy series revolving around a psychic who owns a tea room and her family. It’s set in Washington state.
My Take
I seem to be cuddling up to the cozy stories these last few books, and this was a sweet one, as it combines a newly divorced psychic mom and her new business — and she has a strict way with her kids. We get to listen in via first person protagonist point-of-view from Em’s perspective. Sure wish more parents would be as careful as Em!
Galenorn is setting us up with a cast of characters with issues galore, and she continues her habit of creating characters to whom you want to warm up. Well, okay. Not Andrew. Galenorn portrayed Andrew as such an insensitive jerk, which made it all the more incomprehensible that it took Emerald SO long to break up with him! I mean, why would she put up with all his crap??!! Of course, Em does make me rather nuts as well. She whines on about Andrew (when it’s so obvious she needs to move on), and then the scene with the school nurse..! Em goes so far off the deep end that I’m thinking maybe this is a different character…since it’s so out of character for her. As for her vacillations over Joe...oy! If Em can't make up her mind, I'll take him!
That was a tricky bit with the dragon. Clever and scary.
Annnnd another writer who doesn’t know the difference between whopping and whupping. I’m suspecting that all those Faberge eggs that were stolen were not, ahem, the real thing.
Huh. White Deer was right, and Em has to face up to a big negative. A good lesson for her and for Jimbo. I suspect it was the primary theme for Legend of the Jade Dragon and an opportunity for both characters to grow. It was cute how Jimbo’s growth came about, *snicker* Them psychics, you know.
Despite being the second in the series, I didn’t feel the lack of not having read the first book, Ghost of a Chance, and in spite of my complaints, this was a fun story.
The Story
Tarot cards seldom lie. So when they predict chaos and bad luck for her last client of the day, Emerald gets more than a little worried. Especially when he leaves behind a charming jade statue of a dragon — but promptly dies in a hit-and-run accident outside of her shop.
When other terrible things begin to plague Em and her family, the only explanation is the jade dragon.
To thwart its evil spell, she'll have to follow a trail of heartache all the way back to China's Ming Dynasty — and its ancient, sometimes harsh — life.
The Characters
Emerald “Em” O’Brien has psychic abilities which she uses to great affect giving tarot readings to clients in her shop, the Chintz ’n China Tea Room. Kip and the astronomy-obsessed Miranda are her brilliant children. Samantha is their cat and has had kittens: Nebula, Noël, and Nigel. Nanna was the grandmother who taught Emerald how to use her powers. Grandma Grady had been the opposite of Nanna. Rose is Em’s sister.
Andrew is Em’s current boyfriend and a writer. He’s James’ best friend, and Harlow is the one who introduced them. Joe Files is a captain of the medic rescue unit with his own ambitions of being Em’s boyfriend. Roy is that ex-husband who tries to get out of child support and seems to forget he even has kids. He’s now married to the petty and selfish Tyra.
Chiqetaw, Washington, is…
…where the tea room is located. Lana and Cinnamon are Em’s staff. Customers include Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell who is president of the Psychic Occult Society of Rachel, Mabel Jones, Farrah Warnoff, and Lydia Johnson.
The newly minted (and Em’s best friend) Detective Anna Murray is having problems on the job. Sid and Nancy are Anna’s pet boas. White Deer is Murray’s aunt and a native healer. Charley and the stubborn Lila are Anna’s parents. Harley is Anna’s alcoholic brother.
Harlow, a former super model, is a pregnant friend of Em’s who is stuck in a wheelchair until she recovers. Hannah is her amazing mother-in-law. James is Harlow’s photographer husband off on a safari shoot in Africa. Professor Abrams is Harlow’s new boss. Mary Sanders is a friend of Harlow’s and an expert on art in the Ming dynasty.
Ida Trask, a retired schoolteacher, is a great babysitter, a friend, and aunt to Oliver Hoffman, an art history major who went to jail. Ida’s son teaches English in Japan. Caroline was Oliver’s mother and Ida’s sister. Desdemona is a friend of Ida’s with some problems.
Horvald Ledbetter is obsessed with his garden and a neighbor of Em’s. His wife, Ruthie, had loved her garden.
The police include the prejudiced Coughlan who is Murray’s immediate supervisor and the head of detectives. Tad Bonner is the chief of police who doesn’t think Murray can hack it. Officers Deacon Wilson and Greg Douglas are on the case. Sandy Whitmeyer is part of the forensic team. Heinz is a hard-nosed judge.
James “Jimbo” Warren gets drunk too often and has a horrible past. One that includes multiple assault charges. Gats was a drifter.
Doc Adams is the O’Briens’ family doctor; Tissy is his receptionist. Cathy Sutton is a PITA local reporter. The snarky Jack Sullivan is her co-anchor. Royal is a cameraman. Mr. Hodges operates a jewelry and estate store across the street from the tea shop. Skies & Scopes is an astronomer’s dream shop. The Brown Bear Bar & Grill is a family diner owned by Douglas Roberts and his wife. Alicia is a waitress there. Safety Tech is the best security monitoring company in town. Marvin Eyrland owns a glass company down the street from the tea room. David is an all-around general handyman. Bobby is a friend of Joe’s. Mr. Johnson is an insurance agent. Mr. Conner is a banker. Don Patterson is a locksmith.
Kip attends Lincoln Elementary. Vonda is the school nurse. Sly and Tony don’t want to be friends with Kip anymore. Another friend, Tommy Parker, broke his leg. Lori becomes a good friend of Miranda’s; her parents are snooty lawyers.
Daniel Barrington is the end of his line. Harcourt Barrington, his father, was murdered by a mental patient, Cheever Douglas. Dierdre is his damned sister. Molly was their mother. Marissa Barrington was Daniel’s wife; they had twin boys, Charles and Daniel, Jr. Terrance Barrington had been Daniel’s grandfather and an amateur archeologist. Harcourt’s other brothers were Trenton and Charles. Ian Landers was a farmer.
Maxis Studio wants to option Andrews’ book, The Mistress of Peachtree Manor. Zia Danes is a rising starlet. Marjorie is the receptionist at Tyler’s Resort, a camp resort. Cedric Anderson had been in prison.
Susan Mitchell was the ghost who put Em on the map, so to speak. Walter Mitchell and his mother, Eunice Addison, have promised Em some china. Jimmy Salver had been the high school bad boy in Em’s time.
In China during…
…the Ming dynasty when Emperor Wan-Li rules, Huang Fu, an artist, was a naughty boy.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a dark background of what appears to be the inside of an old wooden shed with a calico cat (I’m guessing it’s Samantha), a tall cream teapot, and a cheery looking, grassy green dragon holding a glowing green ball, emanating stra-n-n-ge vapors…bwa-ha-ha…in one of its claws. The author's name spans the top of the cover in white in a serif font with the publisher's logo to the right while the title is in a white script at the bottom. The series information (in black) is in a disappearing band of bright green while an info blurb in white nestles between the first and last name of the author.
The title is the object the tale revolves around, the Legend of the Jade Dragon.
My Take
I seem to be cuddling up to the cozy stories these last few books, and this was a sweet one, as it combines a newly divorced psychic mom and her new business — and she has a strict way with her kids. We get to listen in via first person protagonist point-of-view from Em’s perspective. Sure wish more parents would be as careful as Em!
Galenorn is setting us up with a cast of characters with issues galore, and she continues her habit of creating characters to whom you want to warm up. Well, okay. Not Andrew. Galenorn portrayed Andrew as such an insensitive jerk, which made it all the more incomprehensible that it took Emerald SO long to break up with him! I mean, why would she put up with all his crap??!! Of course, Em does make me rather nuts as well. She whines on about Andrew (when it’s so obvious she needs to move on), and then the scene with the school nurse..! Em goes so far off the deep end that I’m thinking maybe this is a different character…since it’s so out of character for her. As for her vacillations over Joe...oy! If Em can't make up her mind, I'll take him!
That was a tricky bit with the dragon. Clever and scary.
Annnnd another writer who doesn’t know the difference between whopping and whupping. I’m suspecting that all those Faberge eggs that were stolen were not, ahem, the real thing.
Huh. White Deer was right, and Em has to face up to a big negative. A good lesson for her and for Jimbo. I suspect it was the primary theme for Legend of the Jade Dragon and an opportunity for both characters to grow. It was cute how Jimbo’s growth came about, *snicker* Them psychics, you know.
Despite being the second in the series, I didn’t feel the lack of not having read the first book, Ghost of a Chance, and in spite of my complaints, this was a fun story.
The Story
Tarot cards seldom lie. So when they predict chaos and bad luck for her last client of the day, Emerald gets more than a little worried. Especially when he leaves behind a charming jade statue of a dragon — but promptly dies in a hit-and-run accident outside of her shop.
When other terrible things begin to plague Em and her family, the only explanation is the jade dragon.
To thwart its evil spell, she'll have to follow a trail of heartache all the way back to China's Ming Dynasty — and its ancient, sometimes harsh — life.
The Characters
Emerald “Em” O’Brien has psychic abilities which she uses to great affect giving tarot readings to clients in her shop, the Chintz ’n China Tea Room. Kip and the astronomy-obsessed Miranda are her brilliant children. Samantha is their cat and has had kittens: Nebula, Noël, and Nigel. Nanna was the grandmother who taught Emerald how to use her powers. Grandma Grady had been the opposite of Nanna. Rose is Em’s sister.
Andrew is Em’s current boyfriend and a writer. He’s James’ best friend, and Harlow is the one who introduced them. Joe Files is a captain of the medic rescue unit with his own ambitions of being Em’s boyfriend. Roy is that ex-husband who tries to get out of child support and seems to forget he even has kids. He’s now married to the petty and selfish Tyra.
Chiqetaw, Washington, is…
…where the tea room is located. Lana and Cinnamon are Em’s staff. Customers include Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell who is president of the Psychic Occult Society of Rachel, Mabel Jones, Farrah Warnoff, and Lydia Johnson.
The newly minted (and Em’s best friend) Detective Anna Murray is having problems on the job. Sid and Nancy are Anna’s pet boas. White Deer is Murray’s aunt and a native healer. Charley and the stubborn Lila are Anna’s parents. Harley is Anna’s alcoholic brother.
Harlow, a former super model, is a pregnant friend of Em’s who is stuck in a wheelchair until she recovers. Hannah is her amazing mother-in-law. James is Harlow’s photographer husband off on a safari shoot in Africa. Professor Abrams is Harlow’s new boss. Mary Sanders is a friend of Harlow’s and an expert on art in the Ming dynasty.
Ida Trask, a retired schoolteacher, is a great babysitter, a friend, and aunt to Oliver Hoffman, an art history major who went to jail. Ida’s son teaches English in Japan. Caroline was Oliver’s mother and Ida’s sister. Desdemona is a friend of Ida’s with some problems.
Horvald Ledbetter is obsessed with his garden and a neighbor of Em’s. His wife, Ruthie, had loved her garden.
The police include the prejudiced Coughlan who is Murray’s immediate supervisor and the head of detectives. Tad Bonner is the chief of police who doesn’t think Murray can hack it. Officers Deacon Wilson and Greg Douglas are on the case. Sandy Whitmeyer is part of the forensic team. Heinz is a hard-nosed judge.
James “Jimbo” Warren gets drunk too often and has a horrible past. One that includes multiple assault charges. Gats was a drifter.
Doc Adams is the O’Briens’ family doctor; Tissy is his receptionist. Cathy Sutton is a PITA local reporter. The snarky Jack Sullivan is her co-anchor. Royal is a cameraman. Mr. Hodges operates a jewelry and estate store across the street from the tea shop. Skies & Scopes is an astronomer’s dream shop. The Brown Bear Bar & Grill is a family diner owned by Douglas Roberts and his wife. Alicia is a waitress there. Safety Tech is the best security monitoring company in town. Marvin Eyrland owns a glass company down the street from the tea room. David is an all-around general handyman. Bobby is a friend of Joe’s. Mr. Johnson is an insurance agent. Mr. Conner is a banker. Don Patterson is a locksmith.
Kip attends Lincoln Elementary. Vonda is the school nurse. Sly and Tony don’t want to be friends with Kip anymore. Another friend, Tommy Parker, broke his leg. Lori becomes a good friend of Miranda’s; her parents are snooty lawyers.
Daniel Barrington is the end of his line. Harcourt Barrington, his father, was murdered by a mental patient, Cheever Douglas. Dierdre is his damned sister. Molly was their mother. Marissa Barrington was Daniel’s wife; they had twin boys, Charles and Daniel, Jr. Terrance Barrington had been Daniel’s grandfather and an amateur archeologist. Harcourt’s other brothers were Trenton and Charles. Ian Landers was a farmer.
Maxis Studio wants to option Andrews’ book, The Mistress of Peachtree Manor. Zia Danes is a rising starlet. Marjorie is the receptionist at Tyler’s Resort, a camp resort. Cedric Anderson had been in prison.
Susan Mitchell was the ghost who put Em on the map, so to speak. Walter Mitchell and his mother, Eunice Addison, have promised Em some china. Jimmy Salver had been the high school bad boy in Em’s time.
In China during…
…the Ming dynasty when Emperor Wan-Li rules, Huang Fu, an artist, was a naughty boy.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a dark background of what appears to be the inside of an old wooden shed with a calico cat (I’m guessing it’s Samantha), a tall cream teapot, and a cheery looking, grassy green dragon holding a glowing green ball, emanating stra-n-n-ge vapors…bwa-ha-ha…in one of its claws. The author's name spans the top of the cover in white in a serif font with the publisher's logo to the right while the title is in a white script at the bottom. The series information (in black) is in a disappearing band of bright green while an info blurb in white nestles between the first and last name of the author.
The title is the object the tale revolves around, the Legend of the Jade Dragon.
cheesygiraffe's review
4.0
This was even better than the first. Poor Em lost a lot in this book. Thank goodness for Insurance and Joe.
deanapotter's review
4.0
Emerald is a single mom with a talent for reading tarot cards. She's a practical woman with some playfulness thrown in. She a different type of heroine that I really enjoyed.
After an uneasy reading Emerald finds herself the owner of a mysterious dragon trinket and the bearer of bad luck. Adventure and mystery with a touch of paranormal send Emerald and crew on a fact finding mission to break ancient curse.
Legend of the Jade Dragon is a fun and twisting small town paranormal mystery. Rich details allow the reader to fully picture story with in their minds. The characters are well-developed. Each containing depth, charisma and individualistic traits that make each character's personality unique and very likable. The plot keeps the book moving along with keeping a reader guess. Legend of the Jade Dragon is a very enjoyable cozy mystery with a touch of romance.
After an uneasy reading Emerald finds herself the owner of a mysterious dragon trinket and the bearer of bad luck. Adventure and mystery with a touch of paranormal send Emerald and crew on a fact finding mission to break ancient curse.
Legend of the Jade Dragon is a fun and twisting small town paranormal mystery. Rich details allow the reader to fully picture story with in their minds. The characters are well-developed. Each containing depth, charisma and individualistic traits that make each character's personality unique and very likable. The plot keeps the book moving along with keeping a reader guess. Legend of the Jade Dragon is a very enjoyable cozy mystery with a touch of romance.
lakecake's review against another edition
1.0
Yeah, I don't know. This was really unrealistic, and that's saying something considering that I KNOW it's about a woman who happens to be a witch with psychic powers and I wanted to read it anyway. It's the little things that get me. As in, I know it's supposed to be a small town, but she lets her kids gallivant around it a little too much for my liking. And who wears sundresses and tank tops at then end of winter in Washington State? AND what single mom with her own store trying to make ends meet springs for Opium perfume, lotion and body powder and THEN wears it to the local diner for a casual dinner with her kids? Um...no. So you probably shouldn't get me started about the actual plot that matters, because I'm obviously a little picky.
jarichan's review against another edition
3.0
Langsam denke ich, dass sich die Wege von Yasmine Galenorn und mir trennen. Hatte ich mit Band eins damals noch meine Freude, so ist dies unterdessen ziemlich abgeklungen.
Trotz einiger berührender Szenen (ich mag vor allem die Kinder), kam ich kaum bis gar nicht in die Geschichte rein. Für mich wird zu viel um die eigentliche Handlung herumgeredet. Klar dienen all diese Verläufe der Figurenentwicklung, aber für mich ging der eigentliche Aspekt des Kriminalfalles völlig verloren.
Deshalb ging auch mein Interesse flöten. Wenn das so lapidar ausdrücken darf. Die ganzen Beziehungsgeschichten waren für mich einfach zu ermüdend, zu zäh.
Da es sich um einen typischen Galenorn-Titel handelt, gehe ich davon aus, dass ich einfach aus ihr herausgewachsen bin. Sie hat mich jahrelang begleitet, aber auch den "Schwestern des Mondes" werde ich während des Lesens unruhig und sehne das Ende herbei. Daraus schliesse ich, dass hiermit eine Ära zu Ende geht.
Da ich mich aber trotzdem schwer damit tue, halte ich mir die Reihe noch lauwarm. Um die Weihnachtszeit werde ich die Gratis-Weihnachtsgeschichte lesen, die ich letztes Jahr bekommen habe. Danach werde ich entscheiden, ob ich definitiv abbreche oder es noch einmal versuche.
Trotz einiger berührender Szenen (ich mag vor allem die Kinder), kam ich kaum bis gar nicht in die Geschichte rein. Für mich wird zu viel um die eigentliche Handlung herumgeredet. Klar dienen all diese Verläufe der Figurenentwicklung, aber für mich ging der eigentliche Aspekt des Kriminalfalles völlig verloren.
Deshalb ging auch mein Interesse flöten. Wenn das so lapidar ausdrücken darf. Die ganzen Beziehungsgeschichten waren für mich einfach zu ermüdend, zu zäh.
Da es sich um einen typischen Galenorn-Titel handelt, gehe ich davon aus, dass ich einfach aus ihr herausgewachsen bin. Sie hat mich jahrelang begleitet, aber auch den "Schwestern des Mondes" werde ich während des Lesens unruhig und sehne das Ende herbei. Daraus schliesse ich, dass hiermit eine Ära zu Ende geht.
Da ich mich aber trotzdem schwer damit tue, halte ich mir die Reihe noch lauwarm. Um die Weihnachtszeit werde ich die Gratis-Weihnachtsgeschichte lesen, die ich letztes Jahr bekommen habe. Danach werde ich entscheiden, ob ich definitiv abbreche oder es noch einmal versuche.
amyreadsitall's review against another edition
1.0
This was a really disappointing follow up to book 1. I got so sick of reading descriptions of Emerald's appearance and clothes and shoes - argh! I really enjoy the descriptions of the shop. The romances just feel like token romances. I'll hold out hope for the return of what I loved in book 1, when I read book 3.
llkendrick's review
2.0
I thought this would be a fun book to read over Chinese New Year, but I didn't really care for it. Boring, predictable, too many unnecessary characters, and the main character was pretty naive.
amalinka's review
4.0
These are fun quick reads and Yasmine Galenorn has long been one of my preferred authors for a fun read.
Her heroine Emerald is refreshingly real, curves and all.
Her heroine Emerald is refreshingly real, curves and all.
bookwormbunny's review against another edition
5.0
Legend of the Jade Dragon by Yasmine Galenorn is book 2 in her Chintz ‘N China series. In Legend of the Jade Dragon Emerald is busy keeping up with her flourishing business after solving a murder that has now garnered her renown and interest from many of the locals in town. Business is booming and life is going well overall. Then one day a man named Daniel comes in and asks her to read the cards for him. When she reads the cards she sees danger and trouble ahead for him but what she doesn’t know is how quickly it will come and that it will soon impact her as well. Daniel leaves behind a jade dragon and not long after acquiring it trouble comes in a big way. Emerald’s daughter Miranda loses her brand new $600 plus telescope to a freak accident, Emerald’s shop is broken into and destroyed and there’s more to come. Emerald now must figure out why she is having all of this madness happen to her and how to deal with it before things get to the point of no return.
Legend of the Jade Dragon is an engaging mystery novel with touches of the paranormal in it. Emerald is very adept at reading the cards and she tends to trust her intuition when it comes to the things going on around her. She’s in a relationship with a man named Andrew but you quickly get the sense that he’s not as engaged in the relationship as she is and in time we see exactly what his true colors are. Emerald has another love interest as well, Joe, but she’s unsure about him despite the fact that he shows himself to be more caring and considerate but she lets certain factors get in the way of her judgment.
I really like how Emerald is a strong character and how she also relies on her deceased Nanna as well. When she needs some guidance she meditates and focuses on her Nanna and she comes to comfort her when she needs it. Emerald also has a more than a couple good strong friendships that she is able to fall back on. She’s flawed but it adds to the realism of her character. Her friends Murray and Harlow are both dealing with their own issues but they still try to be there for her as best they can when she is dealing with the chaos of constantly dealing with one drama to the next to the next. But she also learns that she needs to be there for them in turn as well, especially Murray as she is dealing with a lot of mess at her job that has her questioning what she should do and whether it’s the right thing or not.
Despite the fact that Emerald tends to seem as the perceptive type I find it a bit off putting that she doesn’t start with things that have changed recently in her life that has brought about this stint of bad luck. That was probably the only thing that I honestly didn’t like because it seems like the most sensible course of action for anyone to take especially after more than one or two unexplainable incidents that just seem to be too farfetched to be just happen stance.
There is love, mystery, danger, betrayal and murder but it all weaves together to create a story that is hard to put down as you find yourself turning the page again and again eager to learn the history of the jade dragon, why it’s cursed and whether it can be stopped. I love the flashbacks, the history of both the dragon and the tragedy that it has brought over the years.
If you are looking for an engaging mystery with some paranormal in it then I recommend this book. It will engage you to the very end and leave you ready for another Chintz ‘N China novel by this dynamic author. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book will most emphatically be added to my collection.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a voluntary review.
Legend of the Jade Dragon is an engaging mystery novel with touches of the paranormal in it. Emerald is very adept at reading the cards and she tends to trust her intuition when it comes to the things going on around her. She’s in a relationship with a man named Andrew but you quickly get the sense that he’s not as engaged in the relationship as she is and in time we see exactly what his true colors are. Emerald has another love interest as well, Joe, but she’s unsure about him despite the fact that he shows himself to be more caring and considerate but she lets certain factors get in the way of her judgment.
I really like how Emerald is a strong character and how she also relies on her deceased Nanna as well. When she needs some guidance she meditates and focuses on her Nanna and she comes to comfort her when she needs it. Emerald also has a more than a couple good strong friendships that she is able to fall back on. She’s flawed but it adds to the realism of her character. Her friends Murray and Harlow are both dealing with their own issues but they still try to be there for her as best they can when she is dealing with the chaos of constantly dealing with one drama to the next to the next. But she also learns that she needs to be there for them in turn as well, especially Murray as she is dealing with a lot of mess at her job that has her questioning what she should do and whether it’s the right thing or not.
Despite the fact that Emerald tends to seem as the perceptive type I find it a bit off putting that she doesn’t start with things that have changed recently in her life that has brought about this stint of bad luck. That was probably the only thing that I honestly didn’t like because it seems like the most sensible course of action for anyone to take especially after more than one or two unexplainable incidents that just seem to be too farfetched to be just happen stance.
There is love, mystery, danger, betrayal and murder but it all weaves together to create a story that is hard to put down as you find yourself turning the page again and again eager to learn the history of the jade dragon, why it’s cursed and whether it can be stopped. I love the flashbacks, the history of both the dragon and the tragedy that it has brought over the years.
If you are looking for an engaging mystery with some paranormal in it then I recommend this book. It will engage you to the very end and leave you ready for another Chintz ‘N China novel by this dynamic author. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book will most emphatically be added to my collection.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a voluntary review.