If Only She Listened… Debriefing the Dead by Kerry Blaisdell @kerryblaisdell1 #bookreview #paranorma
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  • N. N. Light
    • Jun 25, 2018
    • 3 min read

If Only She Listened… Debriefing the Dead by Kerry Blaisdell @kerryblaisdell1 #bookreview #paranorma


Title: Debriefing the Dead

Author: Kerry Blaisdell

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Ghost Fiction

Book Blurb:

The only thing Hyacinth wants is her life back. Literally. She and her sister were murdered by Demons, leaving her young nephew, Geordi, to his father’s family in the brutal Sicilian Mob. Then Archangel Michael offers her a deal: recapture a powerful rock the Demons stole, and she can live long enough to find Geordi a safe home. Refuse, and she’ll continue up (or down) to the Afterlife.

So, slightly more alive than dead, she heads for Turkey and the Demons, taking Geordi, her mysterious neighbor Jason, and a sexy dead guy only she can see with her. But the hardest part won’t be battling Demons, meeting Satan, or dodging Middle Eastern customs—it will be later, when Geordi is settled, and Michael rips her away again. How can she abandon her nephew? Or can she outwit the Angel of Death himself, and stay with Geordi forever?

My Review:

Hyacinth should’ve listened to her instincts when the two men offered her a boatload of money for her friend’s last excavation, currently taking up space in her storage locker. But with a sister and nephew on the run from the Sicilian Mob, she needs the money to get them away from her ex-brother-in-law, Nick. If only she listened…

She wouldn’t have died, she wouldn't begged to be reborn and she wouldn’t now be on the hunt for a humming rock of St. Michael’s. Yes, the archangel Michael. She grabs her neighbor, Jason, to help protect her nephew, Geordi, from the mob family, demons and all sorts of ghosts wandering around. Just as they’re about to flee, a freshly deceased man with a gun-shot hole piercing his chest cavity named Eric comes along. Is he demon or a friendly, sexy ghost?

It’s almost too much for Hyacinth to take. I mean, what’s a woman to do when she starts having feelings for both men? Just as she discovers where the humming rock is hiding, she’s captured by the demons. Will she escape, or will Satan finally get revenge for Michael’s actions a millennium ago?

To say I loved this book is such an understatement, it’s not even funny. I freaking LOVED it! It’s got adventure, archeology, paranormal, action, spirituality (Heaven/Hell/archangels/demons/Satan/death/afterlife), a touch of romance, history, travel and so much more.

For it being Kerry Blaisdell’s debut, it’s incredibly written without a flaw in the plot. The characters are so well-conceived and fleshed out, they appeared to come to life. Hyacinth goes through a lot in Debriefing the Dead yet her reactions are realistic which gave credence to the story. The slight romantic triangle was well done and I kept hemming and hawing about which man I wanted for Hyacinth.

Like the blurb says, this is a cross between Indiana Jones and Stephanie Plum. There’s plenty of action, a hunt for the truth and retrieving an artifact all while trying to dodge the bad guys.

The best parts for me were the setting in Turkey. Blaisdell’s descriptive narration is so rich, so tangible, I swear I closed my eyes and smelled aromas of Turkey and surrounding areas. She weaves historical aspects among the landscape of the area. It made me yearn to travel there just to experience what Hyacinth experienced.

Highly recommend, especially if you’re looking for an adventurous romance!

Disclaimer: I received a copy via Netgalley from The Wild Rose Press in the hopes I’d review it.

My Rating: 5 stars

Buy it now:

Author Biography:

Kerry was born in British Columbia, Canada, and has since lived all over the West Coast of North America, including California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska—everywhere except Mexico! She’s a “computer industry” brat, not a military one, but moving so frequently meant she spent a lot of time reading, and later writing, great books. She has a degree in Comparative Literature (French and Middle English) from U.C. Berkeley, and a Master’s in Teaching English and Mathematics from the University of Portland. She currently lives in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest with her husband, two “kids” in mid-to-late adolescence, assorted cats and dogs, and more hot pepper plants than anyone could reasonably consume. To connect with Kerry, visit her website at https://kerryblaisdell.com, or go to http://bit.ly/KerrysVOML to subscribe to her Very Occasional Mailing List (to win free books and learn about upcoming releases).

Social Media Links:

Kerry’s website – https://kerryblaisdell.com

Instagram – @kerryblaisdell

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

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