Dating Can Be Deadly (Red Dress Ink)

Rating:
Summary: A Paranormal Mystery For The Down To Earth Chick
Review: At first glance Tabitha Emery seems like a normal gal. She is somewhat less than ambivalent about her office job, cares enough about her health to quit smoking but not enough to work out, frets over money, enjoys hanging out with her girlfriends-perfectly normal. But at closer inspection Tabitha has one very prominent and abnormal characteristic-she's a clairvoyant and no amount of denial on her part will make this unwanted gift go away. But as much as she hates her psychic abilities they never actually put her life at risk-that is they didn't until she starts to have vivid visions of a gruesome ritualistic murder that the police are investigating. Of course when Tabitha tells the police what she knows they immediately put her on the top of their suspect list and it isn't long before she realizes that the only way she is going to be able to get on with her life is if she uses her visions to solve the crime herself. In the process of her investigation her life begins to unravel, she finds herself on the brink of losing her apartment, her job-not to mention her sanity. The only thing that is working out for her is her social life-for the first time in what seems like forever not one but two attractive men are vying for her attention. Of course there's always the chance that they are not so much interested in being part of her life as they are in ending it.

You don't have to be a fan of the paranormal to enjoy this book. Tabitha has all the characteristics of a great Chick Lit protagonist; she's flawed yet endearing, insecure, but not annoyingly so and she's often quite funny. What's amazing is how Roberts is able to stay true to the irreverent tone of the Chick Lit genre while simultaneously weaving a suspenseful and often frightening-to-the-point-of-being-creepy mystery. This book is definitely worth your while.


Rating:
Summary: Light, fluffy, SPOOKY chick lit
Review: I enjoyed this book, and read it in one sitting. It kept me up late, and kept me from falling asleep easily. The storyline with clairvoyance and satanism is a little creepy, but the author manages to find a happy balance between the fluffy chick lit issues of what to wear and the fear of a local murderer who worships Satan, and haunts her dreams. Add two hot men, one blonde and an attorney, and the other, wickedly hot, and dark, and with the name Lucien, perfectly suited to run an occult shop. But what else does he dabble in? The author has written a lively, fast-paced fun story. My only quibble, that keeps me from giving 5 stars, is that I didn't get into it right away, because of the somewhat young tone. But, overall, this one is a winner.

Rating:
Summary: fine paranormal chick lit who-done-it
Review: In Seattle, legal receptionist Tabitha Emery is with her friend Jenny Alton when someone snatches her purse. They give chase, but fail to catch the thief. Tabitha begins blinking and soon she has a vision that leads the twosome to a mutilated cat inside a pentagram. Not long afterward, another "vision" takes Tabitha and Jenny to a dumpster filled with blood. Jenny calls the police and cynical Detective Jackson handles the case once the blood is identified as human.

Through friends Tabitha meets Lucien Roskell, owner of the Scrying Room and very understanding of her gift-curse. Lucien wants Tabitha, but she craves friendly attorney Clay Sanderson even though two years without a pass and his fiancée is beautiful and pregnant. As the clairvoyance continues to follow a cult death march, the killer begins to target the only person who might eventually identify him or her, Tabitha, who Jackson suspects is more intimately involved in the ritual serial killings than she tells the cops.

DATING CAN BE DEADLY is a divine paranormal chick lit who-done-it that grips the audience from the first blood to the last blood and a "pity" F coda. The story line is action-packed but driven clearly by the delightful in denial Tabitha who insists she has no talent although her blinking says otherwise. The support cast fuels the tale with excitement as each key ensemble member adds depth to the heroine or the mystery. Fans will demand Wendy Roberts bring back Tabitha, her friends and lover for another clairvoyant amateur sleuth mystery.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Great debut!
Review: Wendy Roberts shines in her debut book that has just enough creepiness for the mystery angle, a fun story with an interesting cast of characters and a cute and endearing heroine (and a cat that sometimes steals the show) that you can't help but root for. It's a quick read and a must get. Kudos to Roberts!