So, I knew this was the first book in a series before I read it, but I didn't realise it was one of those series where each book isn't a stand-alone story. I find that immensely frustrating.

The book starts strong – good characters, good writing – but lost steam for me as it went along. There are a few irritating typos ("arm and arm" instead of "arm in arm", "heals" instead of "heels" etc), and the main character gets whiny and stroppy in a way that isn't endearing.

Not sure I'll be back for book two, although I'm not discounting it completely.

(Received a free copy as part of the Librarything Early Review programme.) ( )

Thank you to Black Rose Writing for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review!

Viola is quite the con woman. She's moved cross country to California with the wealth she earned from her last deception. All she wants is to live her life with a great glass of alcohol in hand, away from the ghosts of her past. As a clairvoyant, she can see and commune with the dead. An ability she has repressed and tried to leave behind for good. And for a while it works, until a ghost by the name of Tobias tracks her down to demand help. Tobias claims a friend from the past sent him to Vi's doorstep, but who? As Vi grudgingly helps Tobias with his unfinished business, she will be pulled back into the world of ghosts and forced to face the consequences of her last con. And this time her power will refuse to remain repressed.

No Rest for the Wicked was a light fun read. It was a pretty straight forward story. Nothing lurking in dark corners to surprise the reader. Vi was quite the character to read, as she tried to avoid her responsibilities as a clairvoyant. She is a strong female character to follow. Watching her use her wit to talk herself out of situations and pull fast ones over her opposition reinforced the fact she was a great con woman.

Bonnie, however, was a bit unbelievable. She seemed to latch on to Vi rather quickly. Granted, I can see how she would be grateful to Viola. Touching Vi allows other people to see spirits, and Bonnie was allowed to speak with her husband. But she attached herself to Vi and just refused to not follow her. The woman would do just about anything for Vi within a matter of days meeting her. Watching Bonnie go through a bit more of the grieving process with Vi's help would have round out the friendship better.

Phoebe Darqueling does a great job putting the characters into historic California during the gold rush. At one point you'll find yourself caught up in a good old saloon brawl caused by rivals over a game of poker. Vi is quite comical as her establishment is ruined and she runs away with the money from the poker game. Darqueling doesn't shy away from the political aspects of the time either. You'll witness the harsh reality of prejudice as Vi's little friend George is looked down upon and insulted by certain members of society due to the color of his skin. If you're a fan of historical fiction you might just enjoy this one even with the supernatural elements added in.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of errors in this book. I think the most common word missing from a sentence was "to". It was a bit jarring to be reading and stumble over the writing due to a lack of words. There were a few misspellings as well. But, even with typos, I would be willing to read the next in the series.
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Thank you to Black Rose Writing for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review!

Viola is quite the con woman. She's moved cross country to California with the wealth she earned from her last deception. All she wants is to live her life with a great glass of alcohol in hand, away from the ghosts of her past. As a clairvoyant, she can see and commune with the dead. An ability she has repressed and tried to leave behind for good. And for a while it works, until a ghost by the name of Tobias tracks her down to demand help. Tobias claims a friend from the past sent him to Vi's doorstep, but who? As Vi grudgingly helps Tobias with his unfinished business, she will be pulled back into the world of ghosts and forced to face the consequences of her last con. And this time her power will refuse to remain repressed.

No Rest for the Wicked was a light fun read. It was a pretty straight forward story. Nothing lurking in dark corners to surprise the reader. Vi was quite the character to read, as she tried to avoid her responsibilities as a clairvoyant. She is a strong female character to follow. Watching her use her wit to talk herself out of situations and pull fast ones over her opposition reinforced the fact she was a great con woman.

Bonnie, however, was a bit unbelievable. She seemed to latch on to Vi rather quickly. Granted, I can see how she would be grateful to Viola. Touching Vi allows other people to see spirits, and Bonnie was allowed to speak with her husband. But she attached herself to Vi and just refused to not follow her. The woman would do just about anything for Vi within a matter of days meeting her. Watching Bonnie go through a bit more of the grieving process with Vi's help would have round out the friendship better.

Phoebe Darqueling does a great job putting the characters into historic California during the gold rush. At one point you'll find yourself caught up in a good old saloon brawl caused by rivals over a game of poker. Vi is quite comical as her establishment is ruined and she runs away with the money from the poker game. Darqueling doesn't shy away from the political aspects of the time either. You'll witness the harsh reality of prejudice as Vi's little friend George is looked down upon and insulted by certain members of society due to the color of his skin. If you're a fan of historical fiction you might just enjoy this one even with the supernatural elements added in.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of errors in this book. I think the most common word missing from a sentence was "to". It was a bit jarring to be reading and stumble over the writing due to a lack of words. There were a few misspellings as well. But, even with typos, I would be willing to read the next in the series. ( )

Grifter Viola Thomas has an additional skill-she can see and talk to the dead. When she strikes a bargain with a dead gold-miner, she and her small band of misfits are soon on a cross-country train trip to solve the murder of one of the many men she has betrayed, but the only one whose betrayal she regretted.
Set in post Civil-War California, this is a pleasant, almost slap-stick historical comedy with vividly drawn characters-both living and dead. However, it is just the first part of a multi-part novel; for this reason, I cannot recommend it. ( )

This ebook was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading No Rest for the Wicked, by Phoebe Darqueling. It's a fun romantic adventure, or maybe an adventure with some romance. If you're looking for something light and kinda mindless, this is a good option.

I say mindless, because there are some odd inconsistencies. The one that bothers me the most is that this isn't one complete book, it's a part one. To be fair, it does bill itself as book one. However, I expect a book one to have some sort of closure, to wrap up some threads even while leaving tantalizing crumbs to lead to book two. No Rest for the Wicked doesn't wrap up much of anything.

Without giving any spoilers, I can say that I find it frustrating for a character to regret a past mistake, then repeat that same mistake a couple chapters later. "But," you might say, "people do that all the time. It's totally believable." You would be entirely correct. However, in my literature, especially in a fun romp of a book, I like the characters to do better than human average. It is possible that my standards are too high, but I'm at peace with that :)

I give this one 4 stars as a pleasant distraction, 2 stars for being part 1 instead of book 1. It might be best read once the series is further along. ( )