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lagadema's review against another edition
4.0
Paranormal mystery with a perfect setting in Salem during Halloween. I had to know the story; honestly, it kept me glued to the headphones all day. The flow of the storyline was good, twists turns and the details that the author gave us during the reading were in perfect dose, to keep us interested and to want more. The characters are well-developed, and we can feel how they evolve during the story. This was my first and hopefully, I will read other books by this author.
The narrator did an outstanding job, and I enjoyed the performance. I hope to listen to other audiobooks narrated by her.
The narrator did an outstanding job, and I enjoyed the performance. I hope to listen to other audiobooks narrated by her.
christinabooktreasures's review against another edition
3.0
This was different from what I am used to reading. I really enjoyed the historical aspect. As well as all the character family dynamics. Engaging as a thriller as well as paranormal.
bookwormbunny's review against another edition
5.0
Dream Stalker is a unique paranormal cozy mystery novel by Nancy Gardner. The book setting takes place in Salem, Massachusetts around Halloween. This engaging story is told from the first-person point of view through the main character, Lily Scott’s eyes. The author sets the stage with the first stage with the Dream Stalker and Lily’s first and (for the time being) last encounter with him. Then fast-forward to present time and Lily’s life is about to get turned upside down and it all starts with the tragic death of her friend.
Dream Stalker is one of those stories that will grip you from the beginning. I was quickly enticed into this story by the young Lily and the near loss of her when she’s attacked by the Dream Stalker. From there, the author gives me a much older and more mature Lily, but so much has happened in her life. I’m heartbroken by the rift that has been created in her family by her gift of dream walking. Due to the rift in her relationship with her daughter and her sister, she would be alone in the world if it weren’t for her great friendships. I love that she has Martin and Honey to really depend on and be there for her.
I like that despite the fractures in her relationships with her daughter and sister that Lily always does her best to be there for them when they need her. The mystery in this novel is so well done, as well. The mystery really begins with the death of Lily’s friend, Kitty. It’s a really tragic death. Kitty leaves her with the words “find the truth” and then she’s gone. Lily has no idea just how deep things go, and the danger that she will find herself in as she digs to find the truth.
The mystery in this novel is multi-layered and I think that that is what really keeps me page-turning. One clue leads in one direction, and then another comes and leads in another. I liked that Lily’s friends are there to help her and even bring some light to certain situations that would have thrown her. Even when she was doing things that could have gotten her into a lot of trouble, they didn’t yammer on about her not going forward with it.
This book is really well written and I enjoyed reading it immensely. My only dings on it would be the death of another character. I’m curious as to whether it really is what the author lead it to be, or if it was yet another murder committed by the bad guy in the book. Then, we get a small taste of some romance as well, but I wanted more! LOL!
All in all, I’m choosing to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. You get a nice taste of paranormal with this book, though I could have used a little more, it’s still good. I am left with some questions, but I can’t complain too much about the ending. It’s a good book and I wouldn’t mind reading more by this author in the future. If you enjoy cozy mystery novels that weave engaging storylines that pull you in then you’re not going to want to pass this book up.
Dream Stalker is one of those stories that will grip you from the beginning. I was quickly enticed into this story by the young Lily and the near loss of her when she’s attacked by the Dream Stalker. From there, the author gives me a much older and more mature Lily, but so much has happened in her life. I’m heartbroken by the rift that has been created in her family by her gift of dream walking. Due to the rift in her relationship with her daughter and her sister, she would be alone in the world if it weren’t for her great friendships. I love that she has Martin and Honey to really depend on and be there for her.
I like that despite the fractures in her relationships with her daughter and sister that Lily always does her best to be there for them when they need her. The mystery in this novel is so well done, as well. The mystery really begins with the death of Lily’s friend, Kitty. It’s a really tragic death. Kitty leaves her with the words “find the truth” and then she’s gone. Lily has no idea just how deep things go, and the danger that she will find herself in as she digs to find the truth.
The mystery in this novel is multi-layered and I think that that is what really keeps me page-turning. One clue leads in one direction, and then another comes and leads in another. I liked that Lily’s friends are there to help her and even bring some light to certain situations that would have thrown her. Even when she was doing things that could have gotten her into a lot of trouble, they didn’t yammer on about her not going forward with it.
This book is really well written and I enjoyed reading it immensely. My only dings on it would be the death of another character. I’m curious as to whether it really is what the author lead it to be, or if it was yet another murder committed by the bad guy in the book. Then, we get a small taste of some romance as well, but I wanted more! LOL!
All in all, I’m choosing to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. You get a nice taste of paranormal with this book, though I could have used a little more, it’s still good. I am left with some questions, but I can’t complain too much about the ending. It’s a good book and I wouldn’t mind reading more by this author in the future. If you enjoy cozy mystery novels that weave engaging storylines that pull you in then you’re not going to want to pass this book up.
samanthamurphy_redw01f's review against another edition
5.0
To avoid being triggered, people who want to read this book should beware that it deals with suicide, drugs and murder.
Please note: The ARC I received had a few issues with names and other details, but I've been told that they will be fixed in a later edition of the story. So, some readers may have a version where they're given a description of someone and then Lily suddenly calls them by their name, for instance. But it's still an exciting read!
Dream Stalker by Nancy Gardner is told from Lily Scott's perspective. She is the amateur sleuth whose friend asks her to "Find the truth" moments before committing suicide. Dealing with this trauma, Lily tries to reconnect with her estranged daughter and sister with the help of her old friend, Martin. But Lily's sister, who is a nun is preoccupied with fighting to save the homeless shelter she runs from the heir of the land who wants it replaced with high-rise condos. When the heir of the land, Jolene Williams, is found dead and the cellphone of Lily's daughter is at the scene of the crime, Sarah is arrested. After about three decades of her first disastrous walk among people's dreams, Lily must dream-walk again to discover what really happened to drive her friend to suicide and learn the identity of Jolene's killer to save Sarah.
From streets and landmarks of Salem during the fall to fleshed-out characters with distinct characteristics to learning about plants in Wicca, this book was entertaining and gripping when the action got going! There was also a Nancy Drew reference and a few scenes that had the classic Nancy Drew vibe, which I enjoyed. Sneaking around to find evidence, driving around Salem on a Vespa and interviewing people made the story fun! There was also no end of drama!
Gardner did a wonderful job with spacing out background information. It was always in bite-sized chunks that were relevant to the current events. The clues to the killer's identity were placed well and there were a couple of surprises that just added to the intrigue!
However, I do have one major complaint: the book is titled Dream Stalker. I didn't find that we got enough of this aspect of the story. Most of it was focused on Lily solving all of these issues in the waking world. Her few stints of dream-walking were brief and didn't reveal much information about the Dream Stalker. As the title of the book, I expected more. Although, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy once they're released!
For an in-depth review with spoilers, check out my blog:
https://redwolfsroom.blogspot.com/2021/06/mystery-and-mayhem-in-salem-book-review.html
Please note: The ARC I received had a few issues with names and other details, but I've been told that they will be fixed in a later edition of the story. So, some readers may have a version where they're given a description of someone and then Lily suddenly calls them by their name, for instance. But it's still an exciting read!
Dream Stalker by Nancy Gardner is told from Lily Scott's perspective. She is the amateur sleuth whose friend asks her to "Find the truth" moments before committing suicide. Dealing with this trauma, Lily tries to reconnect with her estranged daughter and sister with the help of her old friend, Martin. But Lily's sister, who is a nun is preoccupied with fighting to save the homeless shelter she runs from the heir of the land who wants it replaced with high-rise condos. When the heir of the land, Jolene Williams, is found dead and the cellphone of Lily's daughter is at the scene of the crime, Sarah is arrested. After about three decades of her first disastrous walk among people's dreams, Lily must dream-walk again to discover what really happened to drive her friend to suicide and learn the identity of Jolene's killer to save Sarah.
From streets and landmarks of Salem during the fall to fleshed-out characters with distinct characteristics to learning about plants in Wicca, this book was entertaining and gripping when the action got going! There was also a Nancy Drew reference and a few scenes that had the classic Nancy Drew vibe, which I enjoyed. Sneaking around to find evidence, driving around Salem on a Vespa and interviewing people made the story fun! There was also no end of drama!
Gardner did a wonderful job with spacing out background information. It was always in bite-sized chunks that were relevant to the current events. The clues to the killer's identity were placed well and there were a couple of surprises that just added to the intrigue!
However, I do have one major complaint: the book is titled Dream Stalker. I didn't find that we got enough of this aspect of the story. Most of it was focused on Lily solving all of these issues in the waking world. Her few stints of dream-walking were brief and didn't reveal much information about the Dream Stalker. As the title of the book, I expected more. Although, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy once they're released!
For an in-depth review with spoilers, check out my blog:
https://redwolfsroom.blogspot.com/2021/06/mystery-and-mayhem-in-salem-book-review.html
cindywho's review against another edition
4.0
I always enjoy a mystery with local color and this one takes me around Salem in the notorious month of October. Great herbalist details and some short story cameos.
chelz286's review against another edition
4.0
Lily’s world falls apart, and a mothers worse nightmare happens. Her daughter is being accused of murder. Kitty a good friend of hers committed suicide, but before she did- she left a key and cryptic message with Lily. Her daughter Sarah was one of the last ones to be with Kitty before she did this, but Sarah has struggles with drugs and alcohol herself- so she sometimes cannot be reliable.
While Lily is on the search for figuring out Kitty’s message, an enemy per-say is found dead and Sarah is arrested for it. Lily knows something isn’t right, but they said her cell phone was found by the body. So what is really going on? Lily knows that Sarah would do anything to help Ann, but she would not go so far as to murder someone. The police start to wonder why Lily is showing up at all of these scenes and continuously connected to these people.
It seems someone wants to stop Lily and Ann from searching for the truth, and Lily knows she is the one who holds the power to be able to find the truth. She needs to do what she promised her sister she wouldn’t do again, a dream walk. This is how she can find out the truth of what Sarah did the night of the murder, and who might be the real culprit. But Lily knows where are risks involved, and what happened last time she did this.
This was a quick read and for those who read borderline paranormal and witch stories- this was a believable story, and did not dabble in the sci-fi world at all. I enjoyed this book and would look forward to reading other novels by this author. Thank you to the author for the free book, and Cozy Mystery Review Crew for the invite.
While Lily is on the search for figuring out Kitty’s message, an enemy per-say is found dead and Sarah is arrested for it. Lily knows something isn’t right, but they said her cell phone was found by the body. So what is really going on? Lily knows that Sarah would do anything to help Ann, but she would not go so far as to murder someone. The police start to wonder why Lily is showing up at all of these scenes and continuously connected to these people.
It seems someone wants to stop Lily and Ann from searching for the truth, and Lily knows she is the one who holds the power to be able to find the truth. She needs to do what she promised her sister she wouldn’t do again, a dream walk. This is how she can find out the truth of what Sarah did the night of the murder, and who might be the real culprit. But Lily knows where are risks involved, and what happened last time she did this.
This was a quick read and for those who read borderline paranormal and witch stories- this was a believable story, and did not dabble in the sci-fi world at all. I enjoyed this book and would look forward to reading other novels by this author. Thank you to the author for the free book, and Cozy Mystery Review Crew for the invite.
thriftyloco's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
What a great start to a new series! The author did a great job with providing enough background information without bogging down the story. Instead, she jumped right in with an action scene, and let the readers learn more about the main character, her friends, and her life as the plot moved along. I never felt like I didn't have enough information, and by the end, I had come to know Lily fairly well, and was eager to learn more.
The dream walking element make this a unique cozy. Lily is able to enter other people's minds and view their memories while they sleep. I loved the way this paranormal element was woven in to the story, and into Lily's search for the truth. I liked that she made real-world attempts to get information, and only resorted to dream walking when there was something specific she needed to know.
The mystery had lots of suspects, and I didn't figure out the likely culprit until very near the end. I think this is perfect, as I don't want to figure it out too early, but I like to have enough clues that I'm able to guess just before the heroine does.
The dream walking element make this a unique cozy. Lily is able to enter other people's minds and view their memories while they sleep. I loved the way this paranormal element was woven in to the story, and into Lily's search for the truth. I liked that she made real-world attempts to get information, and only resorted to dream walking when there was something specific she needed to know.
The mystery had lots of suspects, and I didn't figure out the likely culprit until very near the end. I think this is perfect, as I don't want to figure it out too early, but I like to have enough clues that I'm able to guess just before the heroine does.
chewie_the_mouse's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
The start of any new cozy series challenges the author to establish characters, places, and relationships quickly, while simultaneously presenting a mystery to be solved. With a paranormal series, there's the added task of clarifying the nature of the paranormal element and the rules that govern it. It's tricky to accomplish all of this without leaving the reader feeling overwhelmed, confused, or just bogged down in details. In "Dream Stalker", the first book in a new paranormal cozy series, author Nancy Gardner manages to accomplish all of those things perfectly!
Very shortly after starting the first chapter, I felt like I had a good sense of who main character Lily was, as well as the key relationships in her life and how her supernatural gift worked. In virtually no time, I was completely immersed in this world and Lily's mystery.
The novel is set in Salem, Massachusetts around Halloween. I loved the descriptions of the area, and enjoyed learning about some of the modern traditions that are part of that town's celebration of the holiday. The location is perfect, as Lily is a dream walker, meaning she is able to use magic to enter a person's subconscious while they sleep to learn things they have kept hidden. The description of this process was fascinating, and I appreciated Lily's methodical approach in using her gift to help solve the mystery.
In addition to Lily, other major characters were also well-written and given enough detail to make them distinctive. Ann (Lily's sister) runs a shelter for homeless women, and the key residents stood out as individuals in my mind. The dynamic (and strained) relationship between religious sister and witch sister added a great deal to the storyline, and I look forward to seeing how these two manage to accept each other's lives despite their differences in future books. Other characters, including the victim and Lily's adorable (new) dog, were given enough detail to make them stand out. Overall, the characters were very well done, with enough detail for the reader to keep everyone straight, but not enough to become tedious. The number of characters was perfect as well...enough to provide support for Lily and suspects, but not so many that it got confusing.
The mystery itself was excellent. Lily gets involved because her daughter Sarah is accused of the crime. Lily has a logical approach to investigating, both through natural and supernatural means. I liked that she was making a focused effort to solve the mystery instead of just going about her life and accidentally stumbling upon clues. I was able to gradually piece together the answer along with Lily, and everything made sense once the culprit was revealed.
All in all, I loved everything about this book! As an added bonus, two mouse characters named Boo and Bean made brief appearances. This is a trend that should definitely continue. Personally, I think Martin could use a low-maintenance pet....
Five out of five chunks of my favorite sharp cheddar. Plus a bonus chunk for the mice. So SIX chunks total!
Very shortly after starting the first chapter, I felt like I had a good sense of who main character Lily was, as well as the key relationships in her life and how her supernatural gift worked. In virtually no time, I was completely immersed in this world and Lily's mystery.
The novel is set in Salem, Massachusetts around Halloween. I loved the descriptions of the area, and enjoyed learning about some of the modern traditions that are part of that town's celebration of the holiday. The location is perfect, as Lily is a dream walker, meaning she is able to use magic to enter a person's subconscious while they sleep to learn things they have kept hidden. The description of this process was fascinating, and I appreciated Lily's methodical approach in using her gift to help solve the mystery.
In addition to Lily, other major characters were also well-written and given enough detail to make them distinctive. Ann (Lily's sister) runs a shelter for homeless women, and the key residents stood out as individuals in my mind. The dynamic (and strained) relationship between religious sister and witch sister added a great deal to the storyline, and I look forward to seeing how these two manage to accept each other's lives despite their differences in future books. Other characters, including the victim and Lily's adorable (new) dog, were given enough detail to make them stand out. Overall, the characters were very well done, with enough detail for the reader to keep everyone straight, but not enough to become tedious. The number of characters was perfect as well...enough to provide support for Lily and suspects, but not so many that it got confusing.
The mystery itself was excellent. Lily gets involved because her daughter Sarah is accused of the crime. Lily has a logical approach to investigating, both through natural and supernatural means. I liked that she was making a focused effort to solve the mystery instead of just going about her life and accidentally stumbling upon clues. I was able to gradually piece together the answer along with Lily, and everything made sense once the culprit was revealed.
All in all, I loved everything about this book! As an added bonus, two mouse characters named Boo and Bean made brief appearances. This is a trend that should definitely continue. Personally, I think Martin could use a low-maintenance pet....
Five out of five chunks of my favorite sharp cheddar. Plus a bonus chunk for the mice. So SIX chunks total!
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