THE ALCHEMICAL DETECTIVE by @KirstenWeiss #Paranormal #Romantic #Mystery #TuesdayBookBlog

The Alchemical Detective by Kirsten Weiss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Alchemical Detective is book #2 in the Riga Hayworth paranormal romance mysteries. The book is easily a stand alone read.

Metaphysical detective Riga Hayworth has come to Lake Tahoe for some rest and relaxation as she works on regaining her lost magical abilities (from book #1, but it didn’t matter that I hadn’t read it). Urged to consider alchemy by a French stone gargoyle, Riga finds her studies disrupted by a reality TV show offer; to investigate into tales that the lake is home to Tessie, an unknown monster.

Peace and quiet is also shattered when a local palm reader is found murdered. Riga finds herself “a person of interest” to the police and suddenly she’s asked not to leave town. Her own investigations lead her to daemon involvement in the murder and as the body count rises Riga considers the Tessie project might well be linked to the murders.

I loved the paranormal aspects of the book, they were explained well and I didn’t feel lost, the magic was very believable. I also liked the ghosts who were part of the story, I’m a big fan of interactive ghosts. Riga was an easily relatable character, I like her sassy independence and no-nonsense attitude. Lots of suitable lose ends to leave the reader thinking and it has me running to Amazon looking up the next book in the series.

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Book Description

Where Alchemy, Demons, and Good Wine Collide… with a Lake Monster Named Tessie. A psychic has been murdered in an occult ceremony and the police pay a visit to Riga Hayworth, metaphysical detective. But this time, she’s not a consultant on the case. She’s a suspect.

There’s a storm on the horizon.

Riga’s lost her magic and has come to Lake Tahoe to recover and spend quality time with her new love. But life for Riga is never that simple. A psychic’s been murdered, and the police believe Riga has a connection to the crime.

They’re right.

And if that’s not enough, Riga is drafted as the host of a reality TV show about the local lake monster, and her niece is rejecting her metaphysical abilities. Juggling demons, daimons, and angry tarot card readers, Riga must catch a killer before she becomes the next target.

The Alchemical Detective is an urban fantasy exploring the world of alchemy and the imagination.

About the author

I worked overseas for nearly twenty years in the fringes of the former USSR, Africa, and deep in the Afghan war zone.  My experiences abroad not only gave me glimpses into the darkness and light of human nature, but also sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

 Now based in San Mateo, CA, I write genre-blending novels: urban fantasy/mystery, steampunk/suspense, and cozy mysteries with a touch of paranormal. The mix just makes things more fun!

 I believe that life is as magical as you want to make it. I’ve never met a dessert I didn’t like, and my guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer reruns and drinking red wine.

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