Syd MooreReseñas

I really wish I'd read the reviews before diving into this one. I would have sworn that the author was male based on the way this female protagonist is written, but apparently the author is a "loud and proud Essex girl" which is fair enough; my family is from Essex so I'm well aware of the stereotype and applaud any woman who aims to beat it. However, the author doesn't seem to have a clue whether she's actually trying to prove the stereotype right or wrong. On the one hand, she introduces a really interesting hypothesis about the hysteria of witches gradually becoming the modern-day stereotype of 'Essex Girls' (a quick google shows that the author has published an opinion piece on this). However, it isn't the female protagonist that introduces this - it's a male character. It's a male character that is portrayed as being the intellectual one while the protagonist is the out of her depth dimwit.

And it only gets worse from there. As soon as she meets this man, who is, of course, gorgeous she's talking about her breasts and how a girl "always" needs a generous amount of bounce. Umm, what??? Then begins the constant thoughts of her jumping into bed with him. This all before page 124.

I'm sure there's probably a terrible sex scene at some point, and I was prepared to skip over it because the plot intrigued me. What I couldn't overlook was the protagonist's blatant bigotism. The protagonist is a Benefits Fraud Officer who delights in hunting down people receiving benefits and 'catching them in the act' because, of course, everyone on benefits is just scheming the government in some way. The way the protagonist's comments come across leaves me in no doubt of the author's political persuasion put it that way.

The final straw came on page 124 when snide remarks were made about an old woman, a total stranger, which the protagonist and her intellectual companion approached as part of their investigation. There was absolutely zero reason for the following description other than being callous:

" [...] although I had a hunch that she had been cursed with the kind of face that probably looked old in her teens. "

And let's not forget the follow up judgemental comment: "We’d interrupted her enjoying a rare pleasure: the thin, white book in her hand could have been a Mills & Boon. Or something that was fifty shades more fruity."

The author had already made a point of referring to the couple as "Enjoying their baby-boomer retirement, sucking the life out of the NHS and the government pension pots".

Yep. After all that I decided that as interesting as the plot was, I didn't have the stomach for more of the judgemental bollocks. I can get enough of that IRL, I don't need it in something I read for pleasure.

Nice premise that isn't delivered upon. The book is oddly repetitive and slowly paced, and the will they, won't they-dynamic that feels as if it's supposed to drive a lot of the tension is juvenile and soulless, with no real chemistry between the characters (petty bickering is not the same as witty repartee).

Also, the main character's motivations are unclear and muddled: she repeatedly states that she doesn't belive in magic, but seems to have no problem with discussing the ramification of curses and hauntings as a matter of facts

The end result is something of a mess. Best avoided.

“Strange Sight” is the second instalment in Syd Moore’s projected “Essex Witch Museum” trilogy. I hadn’t read the first novel in the series ([b:Strange Magic|32073145|Strange Magic (Essex Witches, #1)|Syd Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485260662s/32073145.jpg|52720646]), but this did not detract from my enjoyment of this book, not least because as we go along the author deftly fills us newbies in with the facts we need to know. The back story can be briefly summed up. Rosie Strange unexpectedly inherits a “witch museum” set up by her grandfather Septimus, whom she hardly knew. Rosie is a down-to-earth, thirty-something “Essex girl” and scepticism runs in her blood (she’s a benefits fraud inspector, so one would hardly expect otherwise). She is bent on a quick sale of the museum, but finds herself oddly attracted to it. And to its resident curator, Sam Stone. She soon also becomes embroiled in enquiries of an otherworldly bent. In the case of “Strange Sight”, Strange and Stone are called to investigate ghostly manifestations in a high-end London restaurant, only to discover that the chef has been killed in what seems to be a ritual murder. The ghostbusters turn sleuths as they try to crack the link between this terrible crime and the ongoing hauntings.

Of course, crime and supernatural genres have been combined before. One thinks of [a:William Hope Hodgson|51422|William Hope Hodgson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1246727581p2/51422.jpg]’s Carnacki series or, closer to us, [a:John Connolly|38951|John Connolly|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1201288913p2/38951.jpg]’s Charlie Parker novels. What I liked about Moore is that the supernatural aspect does not drown out the “crime novel” elements. Indeed, the mystery is well-plotted, satisfactorily concluded and could stand its ground even without the otherwordly baggage. The ghostly sub-plots however add an element of frisson and there are hints that there is an overarching mystery directly involving Rosie Strange which will only be unravelled in the final book. What makes this novel a success is the endearing investigative duo, and especially the funny, charismatic Rosie, who doubles as narrator. Part Mulder and Scully, part Holmes and Watson, with some Bridget Jones thrown into the mix, it is the unlikely chemistry between the two which drives this book. That and the witty dialogue.

This is an entertaining novel, a perfect read for summer (or make that a spooky autumn afternoon), and one which I wouldn’t mind seeing adapted for the screen.

An electronic copy of this novel was provided through NetGalley in return for an honest review

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I just didn’t fall in love with the characters. Also, a little too many cringy pre-romantic moments, and the magic wasn’t compelling to me. It could very well take off in the next book as the magical system is revealed, but not quite my cup of tea.

Even better story than the first one, though epically bad copyediting. Rosie is still an odd character for me to sort out, but coincidentally, I was at the hair salon today and was able to ask my stylist, a UK native, about the whole Essex thing, which he tried to explain while desperately trying to be PC about the whole thing. I got the gist though, and it helped. It also helped that Rosie seemed more focused in the second half of this one.

This story revolves around a good old fashioned murder mystery albeit with ghosts and a haunted restaurant. Nothing to scare the reader too badly, but the historical context of the plot, (which is based on historical events, sadly) is wickedly dark and honestly, even if this wan't a cozy(ish), would be hard reading in a few places. While this book is excellent on almost all fronts, it is also full of trigger warnings for epic violence against women.

I liked the ending - I liked that it didn't involve the MC doing something stupid or ending up in a woman-in-peril situation. The very last page was also creepy as hell.

Can't wait for book 3!

Both the titles and the covers of these books grabbed me, and as they were part of a 40% off sale, and I've been looking for new mystery series, I couldn't resist grabbing #'s 1 and 2.

I'm glad I did, although book 1 and I got off to a rocky start, when cracking it open the other night in bed, I read the prologue, featuring a comatose little boy suddenly 'waking up' speaking in Early English and rising up out of bed, floating in the crucifix position. NOT what I want to read about right before turning out the lights and going to bed, thanks.

Fortunately, none of the rest of the book is nearly as scary as the prologue. Spooky fun, yes, a tad creepy at times, but mostly fun. Rosie has inherited her estranged grandfather's Essex Witch Museum, which she plans on selling as soon as possible. Except while she's there a plea for help comes along that she can't refuse, and she and the curator, Sam (cue romantic tension) find themselves on a race to locate the remains of the original Essex Witch.

It's a good story - an excellent story. My only beefs with it were the slightly forced tone of the will-they-won't-they romantic tension, and Rosie's character, to a certain degree. The former is just personal taste, but the latter is, I think, a lack of micro-cultural understanding. Rosie is a strong, very intelligent and independent woman, but has a chip on her shoulder about being an Essex girl - and I don't know what that means. As the book progressed I got the feeling it's sort of like an American redneck, but my lack of confidence meant Rosie came across paranoid, or at least carrying an aggressive inferiority complex.

Possibly related, her internal dialogue's habit of noting every time a man looked at her breasts/body got super tedious, super fast. Yes, men look at women's bits; sometimes they are so distracted by them they lose sight of the fact women have faces. Yes, it's tiresome, Yes, it's deplorable. Don't care. Don't want to hear about it in my murder mystery, it's beyond irrelevant and lent a rather shallow tone to an MC that wasn't.

Note though that these were minor annoyances; if I understood the Essex thing better, I'm guessing they would have lent authenticity to her character, and her accounting of leers received didn't happen more than 2 or 3 times, and it's a personal tic. The majority of the story was, as I said, excellent: fast-paced, well plotted, and my favorite literary device: based on the history of a real woman tried and hung for witchcraft, Ursula Kemp. In the acknowledgements, the author outlines at what point the fiction diverges from the reality, and both make for compelling storytelling. Also, people throughout history have been appalling. Truly appalling.

I'm so glad I already have book 2 in hand, and I believe book 3 is scheduled for publication any day now, which means if I like Strange Sight as much as I enjoyed Strange Magic, I'll only have to wait as long as the postal service to find out what happens next.

Consider my enthusiasm for this series dampened. This was a very average effort, with a number of problems I couldn't overlook.

The biggest is the MC, Rosie. I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt and say she probably has a long-range plan for Rosie's personal growth, but if so, she's not executing it well. The MC has a chip on her shoulder about being from Essex and the stereotypes involved in being an "Essex Girl"; the chip is big enough to sit firmly in soapbox/crusader territory, as she frequently fights the good fight against the idea that an "Essex Girl" is cheap, trashy, and dumb. And then proceeds to refer to vegetarians as "nut-nuts". And utterly dismiss someone's conversation about ecology, because ... who cares? And when people fail to fawn over her best friend for being the "black urban goddess" she is, her knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss them as backward conservatives. (They were polite, mind you, they just didn't fall to their knees in awe.) Not sure how she can find the time to fight the Essex Girl stereotype when she spends so much time stereotyping everyone else.

The author also seems intent on making Rosie a bit of a dim bulb through the use of scenes and dialog that are obvious choices to highlight her ignorance without showing any desire to correct it. Again, it's hard to square this with Rosie's righteous mandate to stamp out the cliches.

She also spends a lot of time drunk. Absolutely pissed. Bottles of Prosecco at a time pissed. Now, I don't care what socio-economic class you are in or are perceived to be in by others - being a drunk is not classy. I understand some cultures enjoy the plonk more than others, but sorry, drunk is tawdry in any culture and economic class.

So. MC with contradictions. It happens, and as I say, the author might have a master plan I'm just not seeing.

Unfortunately there were some egregious editing issues too. Poor and odd word choices (she kept referring to the ground as the floor - is this a common interchange in UK English?), and poorly copyedited, this 3rd instalment felt rushed to press. The pace dragged too, and the plot was all loosey-goosey. A more severe editor would have done this book more justice.

I liked the story though, once I was able to dig through all the extraneous dead-ends. I enjoy the factual elements of historical record the author uses, tying them and local legends into her modern day murder plots. If the author dropped the hypocritical chip on the MCs shoulder, matured her up, dried her out, and tightened up her plotting, she'd have a hit series on her hands. She might yet, but this book won't be a contributing factor. I'll be taking a close look at the fourth one (if/when it comes out) before I commit to reading further in this series.

3.5*

Strange Fascination brings to a close Syd Moore’s“Essex Witch Museum” trilogy. The overarching story which links the three novels features as protagonist Rosie Strange, a sceptical, feisty benefit fraud inspector who unexpectedly inherits from her grandfather Septimus the eponymous witch museum in the small village of Adders Fork. This strange (ahem) legacy will lead Rosie to discover long-buried secrets related to her family and to rethink her ideas about the supernatural. Each of the instalments in the trilogy also sees Rosie and the museum's curator Sam Stone ending up embroiled in a criminal investigation with occult overtones. In "Strange Fascination", the 'mystery' revolves around the Blackly Be boulder, said to mark the final resting place of a notorious witch. Against the villagers' better judgment, developers try to move the boulder, leading to a flurry of otherworldly phenomena. And a very real murder.

I had enjoyed reading [b:Strange Sight|33376822|Strange Sight (Essex Witches, #2)|Syd Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489119429s/33376822.jpg|54117884] - the trilogy's second volume - and had particularly liked the well-judged balance between ingredients of supernatural fiction and the "whodunnit". In comparison, I found this instalment rather disappointing. I felt that the action took rather longer to take off, and whilst Rosie's narrative voice is as witty and endearing as ever, the constant attempt at humour drains the tension out of what could have been genuinely scary episodes. This was less evident in the previous novel, whose emphasis was more on the "crime" than on the "supernatural" element.

On the other hand, this novel cannot be fairly considered on its own, but is best assessed in the light of its predecessors. In this regard, Strange Fascination is undoubtedly effective. It teases out the secrets and enigmas of Rosie's ancestors and, thanks to some imaginative plotting, ties up all the loose ends and red herrings planted in the previous novels. Lovers of history and folklore will also enjoy the references to history of witchcraft and folk beliefs, subtly woven into plot.

“Strange Sight” is the second instalment in Syd Moore’s projected “Essex Witch Museum” trilogy. I hadn’t read the first novel in the series ([b:Strange Magic|32073145|Strange Magic (Essex Witches, #1)|Syd Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485260662s/32073145.jpg|52720646]), but this did not detract from my enjoyment of this book, not least because as we go along the author deftly fills us newbies in with the facts we need to know. The back story can be briefly summed up. Rosie Strange unexpectedly inherits a “witch museum” set up by her grandfather Septimus, whom she hardly knew. Rosie is a down-to-earth, thirty-something “Essex girl” and scepticism runs in her blood (she’s a benefits fraud inspector, so one would hardly expect otherwise). She is bent on a quick sale of the museum, but finds herself oddly attracted to it. And to its resident curator, Sam Stone. She soon also becomes embroiled in enquiries of an otherworldly bent. In the case of “Strange Sight”, Strange and Stone are called to investigate ghostly manifestations in a high-end London restaurant, only to discover that the chef has been killed in what seems to be a ritual murder. The ghostbusters turn sleuths as they try to crack the link between this terrible crime and the ongoing hauntings.

Of course, crime and supernatural genres have been combined before. One thinks of [a:William Hope Hodgson|51422|William Hope Hodgson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1246727581p2/51422.jpg]’s Carnacki series or, closer to us, [a:John Connolly|38951|John Connolly|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1201288913p2/38951.jpg]’s Charlie Parker novels. What I liked about Moore is that the supernatural aspect does not drown out the “crime novel” elements. Indeed, the mystery is well-plotted, satisfactorily concluded and could stand its ground even without the otherwordly baggage. The ghostly sub-plots however add an element of frisson and there are hints that there is an overarching mystery directly involving Rosie Strange which will only be unravelled in the final book. What makes this novel a success is the endearing investigative duo, and especially the funny, charismatic Rosie, who doubles as narrator. Part Mulder and Scully, part Holmes and Watson, with some Bridget Jones thrown into the mix, it is the unlikely chemistry between the two which drives this book. That and the witty dialogue.

This is an entertaining novel, a perfect read for summer (or make that a spooky autumn afternoon), and one which I wouldn’t mind seeing adapted for the screen.

An electronic copy of this novel was provided through NetGalley in return for an honest review

Sometimes series can be jumped into at point without a reader feeling as if they are missing vital information and other times series really need to be read in order to have any chance of understanding the ongoing, larger arc of the tale. I have not read the first five of Syd Moore's Essex Witch Museum series and it is one of those series where not having any knowledge from prior books is a real handicap so it's unfortunate that I jumped in at Strange Tricks, the sixth in the series.

Rosie Strange owns the Essex Witch Museum and she is still discovering things about it and about her biological family. She and her curator, Sam, who might or might not be heading for a relationship, leave the museum in order to investigate reports of a medium who has frequent Near Death Experiences and needs to share the information she's receiving there. It turns out that Rosie and Sam have been sent there by their superior Monty, who appears to be the head of a governmental agency that investigates supernatural things. (Maybe, but this is where knowledge of prior books would be a plus.) Instead of being a random case, it turns out this one is very personal, tied as it is to Sam's younger brother Jazz's unsolved disappearance so many years ago. Poor, young teenage boys who are not likely to be missed by those around them and whose disappearances police have been shrugging off, have been going missing for decades. Rosie must learn to trust her gut instincts as she tries to uncover what happened to the abducted boys.

The main story line is interrupted at intervals with parts of Rosie's birth mother's journal and her hand drawn tarot cards. These pieces serve to remind the reader that there is an unsolved mystery in Rosie's past that she very much wants to solve, just as Sam desperately wants to solve his brother's disappearance. The interaction between Rosie and Sam clearly has much more to it than is presented in this book. In fact, diving into this book as the first, the reader questions why Rosie has any softer feelings towards Sam at all. He is so wrapped up in his own desires that he is thoughtless and dismissive to Rosie, including when her life is in imminent danger. The main mystery, that centered on the abducted boys, is wrapped up but so many other plot lines are left dangling, from Rosie's mother's death to someone called Big Ig to some mysterious and attractive man coming around the museum, that this felt incomplete in many ways. And the story went from mildly ominous to dark and deeply disturbing in the blink of an eye, giving the reader a bit of whiplash. Moore brings an important social concern into the light here but it is still best read in context of the rest of the series rather than as a stand alone mystery.½

‘’Draw in close, throw another log on the fire if you will. It’s a chill night. I shall just add some of that coal. Now, this may take quite a while so settle in. All right? Then I’ll begin.’’

‘’There are some things you have to find out for yourself. Or else what’s the point of the journey?’’

Septimus and the Shaman: An elderly gentleman reminisces of his time in Iceland during the Second World War and his strange meeting with a Sami shaman.

‘’Her first was Sooty. A rather unoriginal name, it was true, but she had never anticipated having a pet. Not least a cat. She had thought them rather cruel beasts, aloof and haughty and cold. Too independent by far and fickle with their affections. Much, she thought, like herself.’’

Snowy: A very touching story of an elderly lady and her musings on cats and their peculiar nature. If the ending doesn’t break your heart, you are more heartless than I am…

‘’Though locals would avoid the house at all costs, for they said, and still do, that on dark nights like this you could hear the dead ones’ cries in these here lanes leading to the house.’’

The House on Savage Lane: Accurate title is accurate. This is the wild, nightmarish story of an unfortunate young woman and her twin sons, one of which develops extremely particular instincts. Pure twisted perfection!

Easily Made: Two idiotic social workers commit a terrible mistake in their ridiculous effort to transport cats to a so-called ‘’refuge’’. I mean, if this is how they treat pets over there…

In the Bag: A hilarious story about a tormented husband, his bossy mother-in-law and a very opinionated vacuum cleaner.

Jocelyn’s Story: An obnoxious, spoiled, vain woman gets what she deserves for her ruthlessness and greed in a story that reminded me of the finest British horror movies produced in the 70s.

Death Becomes Her: A young police officer is cursed with the ability to see Death at the shoulder of his future victims. The ending of this story is phenomenal!!!

‘’At that moment the wind chose to increase its strength and the moon, which had been nearing full and shining, was obscured by turbulent clouds that had appeared from nowhere. The gloom thickened. An eerie silence crept over the land.’’

She Saw Three Ships: Every year, on the Feast of All Angels, the villagers are faced with retribution for the crimes committed by their ancestors. An unaware tenant has to cope with the repercussions. A marvellous story that makes use of the horrible crimes of the shipwreckers.

‘’The streetlights, I noticed, were shaped like crucifixes, their lights fixed either side of the cross. They pointed firmly out to sea, forming a linear barrier to any unholy visitors who might consider sailing in. Or perhaps, I considered later, to keep them in.’’

‘’The landscape felt besieged and anxious. Tense. Like it was waiting for something to happen.’’

Madness In A Coruña: Such perfection this story was! A haunting trip to Coruña provides the backdrop for a tale steeped in Galician lore, legends, myths, frenzy and omens. The best stories are the ones that show little and reveal even less. When your mind receives an invitation to decipher and decide. This tale is the epitome of eeriness.

Christmas Eve at the Witch Museum: A very entertaining story set on Christmas Eve as the Witch Museum is all decked out and ready for the great night. Pagan rituals, commercial habits, lore and Spring-heeled Jack in a wonderful mixture. And love. Let us not forget love…

‘’A beast, perhaps a wolf cries in the distance and I am pulled back into the fields. In the moonlight they gleam, though I cannot see the beast on them. He may be near, or he may be far. The blanket of snow does muffle the howl, so I cannot tell. But, peculiar now, I have no fear. Not of the beast. No.’’

‘’For how long, I wonder, have I walked like this - barefoot over snow?’’

Barefoot Through the Snow: The spirit of a wrongly- convicted ‘’witch’’ residing in the Museum returns to reclaim her children. A moving, harrowing confession.

A Christmas Carole: A member of Parliament is visited by apparitions of old friends and relatives as a warning to alter her stance in life before it becomes irreparable. A beautiful rendition of Dickens’ classic.

Naturally, I didn’t have the patience to read one story every day. I finished this collection in two days and it was wonderful. There are no ‘’duds’’. In fact, I had a hard time to decide which story was the finest. I may sound like a broken record but books like this one make us more and more aware of a deliciously frightening, darker side of Christmas.

‘’Suddenly Essex, with its witches and assortment of oddities, seemed the most wonderful place in the world.’’

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/

Sprawled across the wall of my history classroom back in secondary school, in letters standing at least two inches high, was that famous George Santayana quote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This book has a similar message and puts it across even more strongly, perhaps in letters three inches tall that sparkle slightly in the sun.

Actually that may be oversimplifying things.

The Drowning Pool is the debut novel of Syd Moore. The slightly cringeworthy blurb on the back of the promotional copy I won from Goodreads assures me that the book "will delight fans of modern horror fiction such as S. J. Bolton." Alas, I'm not S. J. Bolton, but I did enjoy the book.

The story is loosely based on the real life story of an Essexian sea-witch, called Sarah Grey in the book, though this is a kind of anti-nom de plume for the actual figure whose name was Sarah Moore. A change enforced by a publisher presumably worried that the reader might get discombobulated if both the author and central character shared a surname. In the book, the ghost of Sarah Grey haunts her present day namesake for the same reason ghosts always haunt people: to devour their soul. No, wait, I mean to right some past wrong and find eternal rest. Sorry.

Sarah Grey (the ghost) deciding to haunt Sarah Grey (the widow with a young son and a drinking problem) is not just coincidence though. We learn of the ghost's life through various flashbacks, old journal entries, and letters, which brings us to the aforementioned theme: that of history repeating itself. This theme is gently alluded to early in the story, eyebrow-wagglingly hinted at by the mid-way point, and repeatedly used to slap the reader upside the head with by the story's slightly rushed climax. Indeed, this slight overdoing of The Book's Message and the pacing of the book are the only two issues I had with an otherwise fun and occasionally spooky read.

Pacing is always tricky in horror books. Horror films can easily get away with building tension for two hours before some pants-threateningly scary shenanigans precisely because the viewer is forced to sit there for the two hours becoming increasingly on edge. This is much harder to pull off in print, partly because even a really good, short book will take a few hours more than your average film to get through, and maintaining tension not just while reading the book but between readings becomes necessary. Not an easy task. This book sidesteps the issue somewhat by not being a full on ghost story, it's as much about historical detective-work as ghosts, and even develops a romance subplot towards the end. However, aside from some spookiness early on, all of these things only seem to get going late in the story. Once the story gets going it's pretty riveting, but boy does it take its time.

Overall then, I liked the book. (Three stars on Goodreads, after all, means "I liked it", despite some people seeming to think that anything worth reading to the end is worth five stars.) The snippet included from Syd Moore's next novel promises more Essex-based spookiness with a dipsomanic heroine. If it's as good as this book I dare say I'll be giving it a read.

Sprawled across the wall of my history classroom back in secondary school, in letters standing at least two inches high, was that famous George Santayana quote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This book has a similar message and puts it across even more strongly, perhaps in letters three inches tall that sparkle slightly in the sun.

Actually that may be oversimplifying things.

The Drowning Pool is the debut novel of Syd Moore. The slightly cringeworthy blurb on the back of the promotional copy I won from Goodreads assures me that the book "will delight fans of modern horror fiction such as S. J. Bolton." Alas, I'm not S. J. Bolton, but I did enjoy the book.

The story is loosely based on the real life story of an Essexian sea-witch, called Sarah Grey in the book, though this is a kind of anti-nom de plume for the actual figure whose name was Sarah Moore. A change enforced by a publisher presumably worried that the reader might get discombobulated if both the author and central character shared a surname. In the book, the ghost of Sarah Grey haunts her present day namesake for the same reason ghosts always haunt people: to devour their soul. No, wait, I mean to right some past wrong and find eternal rest. Sorry.

Sarah Grey (the ghost) deciding to haunt Sarah Grey (the widow with a young son and a drinking problem) is not just coincidence though. We learn of the ghost's life through various flashbacks, old journal entries, and letters, which brings us to the aforementioned theme: that of history repeating itself. This theme is gently alluded to early in the story, eyebrow-wagglingly hinted at by the mid-way point, and repeatedly used to slap the reader upside the head with by the story's slightly rushed climax. Indeed, this slight overdoing of The Book's Message and the pacing of the book are the only two issues I had with an otherwise fun and occasionally spooky read.

Pacing is always tricky in horror books. Horror films can easily get away with building tension for two hours before some pants-threateningly scary shenanigans precisely because the viewer is forced to sit there for the two hours becoming increasingly on edge. This is much harder to pull off in print, partly because even a really good, short book will take a few hours more than your average film to get through, and maintaining tension not just while reading the book but between readings becomes necessary. Not an easy task. This book sidesteps the issue somewhat by not being a full on ghost story, it's as much about historical detective-work as ghosts, and even develops a romance subplot towards the end. However, aside from some spookiness early on, all of these things only seem to get going late in the story. Once the story gets going it's pretty riveting, but boy does it take its time.

Overall then, I liked the book. (Three stars on Goodreads, after all, means "I liked it", despite some people seeming to think that anything worth reading to the end is worth five stars.) The snippet included from Syd Moore's next novel promises more Essex-based spookiness with a dipsomanic heroine. If it's as good as this book I dare say I'll be giving it a read.

"Strange Sight" is a slightly disappointing sequel.

"Strange Sight" follows on immediately after "Strange Magic" which introduced us to Rosie Strange just as she inherited a museum to Essex witches. This time, Rosie is investigating a rather spectacular haunting of a posh restaurant in the City which seems to have resulted in a brutal killing.

For me, this book didn't live up to the promise of the first book. It was a light cosy read with a dash of Carrie-style supernatural (albeit reported rather than seen) but it was slow to start with nothing much happening in the first quarter of the book.

The main problem I had with it is that Rosie Strange seems to have lost her edge and is sometimes barely recognisable as the proudly independent, sceptical woman from Essex who made her living tracking down Benefits Fraudsters and tending not to believe in anything that needed a supernatural explanation. In this book, she often obsesses about how things look. She is constantly stealing lusty glances at her we're-just-friends partner, or dissecting the makeup and clothes of other women or contemplating her own sartorial skill. I'm sure this is meant to be amusing but it felt like something shoved into the narrative from time to time for appearance's sake.

The second half of the book is much stronger. There's a real plot, with plausible sub-plots, lots of action, some comedy, some drama, some sociopolitical commentary and some great dialogue. There's also a promising set up for the future story arc as Rosie discovers more about her families past and her own links to Essex witches.

On the whole, I'm glad I read this but it hasn't left me hungry for more. I'll take a break from Rosie for a while and hope that the next book is stronger and that Rosie stops pressing her bimbo button.

In "Strange Magic" Rosie Strange inherits the Essex Witch Musem from her estranged grandfather and finds herself involved in pulled into skullduggery involving violent occult practitioners, a race against time to save a young boy's life and a gruesome treasure hunt.

This is light, fast, often funny read that draws much of its humour and most of its originality from the fact that Rosie Strange is an Essex Girl from generations of Essex Girls.

Essex Girls were invented in the UK in the 1980s, a decade when much humour on television was thinly disguised misogyny and racism presented with an "only joking, luv" passive aggressive veneer. The basic premise was that Essex girls where dumb, blonde, working class and promiscuous eand therefore deserved be treated with disdain and abuse in the name of wholesome fun. This stereotype and even some of the alleged jokes survive to the present day.

Syd Moore, gives Rosie the working class background and estuary accent of the Essex girl. She also makes her smart, independent, irreverent, stubborn, curious, sexually liberated and brave. It becomes clear that Rosie is an archetype of generations of strong women from Essex and that those women explain the disproportionately large number of witches murdered in Essex during the various purges.

"Strange Magic" is gentle fun, easy on the ear but with a grit beneath the surface that lifted it into something distinctive.

I recommend the audiobook version because accents are an important part of the characterization. Click on the SoundCloud link below to hear an example.

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/340842100" params="color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="100%" height="300" iframe="true" /]

In the interview below, Syd Moore talks about the Essex Girl stereotype, its impact and how it got her started on writing this series.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM-v0KhYa8Y?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Strange Sight by Syd Moore, the sequel to Strange Magic, follows our main characters Rosie and Sam as they attempt to solve a case involving a vengeful spirit wreaking havoc in an upscale London restaurant. When a young woman working in her father's restaurant starts seeing a woman from the distant past (I'm talking about a ghost, ya'll) the crackerjack team from the Essex Witch Museum is called in to investigate. As with the previous book, this is equal parts supernatural mystery and contemporary fiction with a healthy dose of romantic tension. I will say that I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first but it picked up towards the latter third of the story (and the ending was really good). Rosie is a bit of an abrasive character and probably doesn't appeal to all people (though I find I like her rough edges). If you enjoyed the first in the series or you're looking for a bit of a witchy supernatural story for the Halloween season this one might just fit the bill. 7/10

Rosie is still thinking about whether or not she should sell the Museum but she gets an offer she can't refuse from the owner of a restaurant La Fleur in London. They appear to have a ghost and he reckons that she's the best person to investigate. She takes some time off work and sets investigating with Sam Stone and what they find is messy and complicated and at the end Rosie is still wondering where her future is.

Not bad, preferred the first book.½

The fourth book in the Essex Witch Musem series. In this one our dynamic and intrepid duo are called to investigate the demise of the curator at a writers’ retreat, who appears to have been frightened to death.

This series is imaginatively and humorously written, and this particular episode definitely has things which bump in the night! It reminded me of an Agatha Christie mystery meeting a game of Cluedo with a bit of hocus pocus thrown in. There is still the ‘will they, won’t they’ scenario with the main characters but I’m forever hopeful for them.😊. If I’m to be picky, I thought it did get a little long winded at times. Even so, it’s still an entertaining story.

All in all a fun and quirky read and a great addition to this enchanting series.½

I have loved reading about witches since I was little. This is a great start to a series which I will probably follow. I love the mix of history and the eccentric characters.

I love the happy accident that was Strange Magic: An Essex Witch Museum Mystery by Syd Moore. A patron dropped this book (and the next one I'm reviewing) at the circulation desk and the covers (and her effusions of pleasure) led me to checking them out for myself. This is the first in a series about (you guessed it) mysteries at the Essex Witch Museum. Our protagonist, Rosie Strange, has just inherited the museum from her deceased grandfather and she has plans for its renovation and immediate selling. (Rosie is immediately characterized as a no nonsense take charge lady.) However, soon after meeting the somewhat pompous curator, Sam Stone, she finds herself embarking on a search for the lost remains of an accused witch from the 16th century. [A/N: The accused witch they seek named Ursula Cadence is based off of an actual woman from this time period and location in Essex named Ursula Kemp who was accused, tried, confessed, and hanged for the crime of witchcraft.] Why the urgency to find these bones? Well, a little boy possessed by the son of the dead woman is losing the fight against the spirit within and the bones hold the key to his exorcism. No biggie. It's obvious that Moore has done her research on the history of witches and witchcraft in Essex because a ton of facts are thrown at the reader in this little volume (and I'm sure that's why it's spawned a series). But this isn't high brow literature by any means so please don't be deterred from giving this a shot. If you liked the nonfiction book Witches then you'll probably dig this historical fiction/mystery as it's based on true events and discusses how occult practices still occur today. It had been a while since I delved into the supernatural and I enjoyed my time with these characters so I'm sure there'll be a future review of the sequel Strange Sight. 7/10 for Strange Magic.½

Strange Magic
Author: Syn Moore
Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Rosie Strange inherits the Essex Witch Museum from her grandfather, upon learning of her new property her first thought is to sell it as fast as possible. After all, she doesn’t believe in witches, ghost, and other oddities and has no need to keep the weird items inside the weirder building. Maybe they can be sold, and she can make a profit.

But the museum is curious as Rosie becomes more interested against her will. Perhaps her interest is more in the curator, Sam than in the actual museum. He is good looking and obsessive, and she isn't sure it's a good combo, but she can't seem to help herself. Together they embark on an ill-advised hunt for the bones of an ancient witch. If they don’t find them a child’s life may be at stake, perhaps others as well.
--
The character Rosie is a bit too masculine and seems to be a bit dim as well. Her disbelief in the face of so much evidence is discouraging. The way she treats Sam, as well as just about everyone she comes across, makes her an unbelievable and unlikeable character. Sam, although intelligent and attractive is too quiet and secretive, his interest in Rosie seems forced, and there does not appear to be any real attraction.

Most readers will find this book rather plodding with too much detail of surroundings and unimportant day-to-day activities such as eating or drinking to immerse themselves in the plot. In and of itself the storyline is interesting, and the ending does not disappoint. Unfortunately, this book is not recommended.

"Just because things are strange, Rosie, doesn't mean they're not true." This sentence aptly sums up the premise of this new series from Sydney Moore. We first meet Rosie Strange as she travels to the Essex Witch Museum, which she has inherited from her estranged grandfather, Septimus Strange. As she wanders the moldy museum, she meets the semi-creepy caretaker Bronson and the handsome & quirky curator, Sam Stone. Soon she finds herself smack in the middle of an adventure in which she and Sam must acquire the bones of a witch dead for 400 years in order to save the life of a small boy possessed by the spirit of said witch's son.

Underneath the expected editing issues you typically find in an advanced reading copy is an entertaining plot and a budding chemistry between the likable Rosie and Sam, making this a series to watch. The introduction two-thirds into the story of the MI5 Occult Division (and the suave agent Monty) was a little jarring, but holds promise for the series. This will be a welcome addition to other "witchy" series like Juliet Blackwell's Lily Ivory books. Recommended.

Strange Fascination is the third in the quirky Essex Witch Museum mystery series but it can also be read as a stand alone. When developers move a boulder known as the ‘Blackly Be’ which supposedly lies over the grave of a witch, strange things start to happen. Stir in a couple of bodies and a murder and the cauldron is bubbling nicely.

This series of books is fun to read with Strange Fascination being no exception. There are some zany characters and they are written with a sense of humour. The mystery side in this particular book is very intriguing, although it takes a little time to get going. I like that there are one or two true facts contained within the fiction. The ‘will they, won’t they’ relationship between the two main characters, Rosie and Sam, continues. If I was Sam, I’d run a mile - Rosie is like some sort of man eater, she makes me cringe and roll my eyes at times with her euphemisms and metaphors. Just get on with it, guys! 😍. There is also progress with another thread running through the series - an old family mystery, the disappearance of Rosie’s grandmother, Ethel Rose.

All in all an entertaining, enchanting and enjoyable read. I look forward to more of Rosie and Sam’s witchy adventures.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. The pace was too slow and I rarely found myself lost in it. The main characters were weak- especially Rosie. What is she good for seriously? Sam was bearable, but still annoying. There is a chemistry between them- why can’t they start a relationship... it is ridiculous to drag this for pages. And the side stories- irrelevant and painfully long. I didn’t feel much for the victim either and did not see why he had to die... it was just too weak of a plot and mercilessly long for a ghost story.

I did not read the first book, but this could be a standalone book for readers.

I was so excited to finally receive this early review copy!!! I enjoy a good mystery and anytime their are supernatural wonders at play make it even more interesting. Rosie Strange, who has inherited the Essex Witch Museum, is off on a round two adventure with the museums curator Sam. Now the best part of this second book in the series, is finally catching a glimpse of Rosie's family's past. Of course the connection between Rosie and Sam and the mystery they are trying to solve make this a super fun read. Looking forward to the third book.