Bea and A Voracious Reader Review Chapter and Curse by Nancy Warren

Series: Vampire Book Club #2
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Ambleside Publishing
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Release Date: July 8th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | * affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A quiet Irish village? Not so much!

An ancient curse seems to be causing bad luck in the charming village of Ballydehag, Ireland—witch Quinn Callahan’s new home. When someone is murdered is it the curse? Or is there a very human murderer on the loose? Moving to a small Irish village was supposed to keep the middle-aged witch out of trouble. Yeah, that didn't happen. Quinn and her bookish vampires must find the real killer and end the curse before someone else dies.

If you like quirky characters, mystery, humor and a touch of romance, don't miss this second instalment in the Vampire Book Club series from the best-selling author of The Vampire Knitting Club. Each book is a complete story that can be read on its own.

This is a joint review with Carol from I'm A Voracious Reader. We had so much fun reviewing the first book in this series that we decided to do book two.

Plot

AVR: I like the plot in this one. It wasn’t exactly clear who the murderer was or even why. And the addition of a local legend makes for an even more interesting story.

Bea: This story was much tighter than the first one, more focused on the mystery and on character building. The local legend adds quite a bit of color to the story and identity of the murder was a guessing game. I did not see it coming. All the details came together nicely and we get a hint of politics and possible treachery.

AVR: I agree. I forgot about the hint of politics and treachery. Good call on that. Hopefully that will get expanded upon in future stories.

Characters

AVR: The characters are coming together. I was worried in book 1 that the town would be too tiny to make for a decent long running series, but I’m beginning to think it’ll work. At least for a while anyway. I think adding Biddy O’Donnell may be the key to some serious future shenanigans. She’s a very interesting character and I hope she doesn’t just fizzle out.

Bea: To be honest, I'm still worried about the town being too tiny for a source of multiple murders or a long-running series but so far, Warren is handling it. I liked that fallout from events in the first book weren't swept under the rug but were realistically dealt with. Quinn's rather dramatic antics in the first book left her with some uncomfortable relationships with people in town and now she has to deal with that. I was apprehensive at first when Biddy O'Donnell was introduced but by the end of the story I was warming up to her and her potential as a long-running character.

AVR: Oh, yes! The fallout from book 1 is definitely touched upon and well-deserved, too. But Quinn is handling it which I like. I’m kinda hoping the author adds a few characters here and there as the series goes on thus alleviating the very tiny town being able to carry a cozy murder series. A B&B would certainly help to do that.

World Building

AVR: There’s a bit more description of the world, but not as much as the building of the characters. Which is ok by me. I really like that this series seems to be focusing more on the witchy magic stuff than the Vampire Knitting Club series.

Bea: I actually felt there was a pretty good balance between the actual world building and the character exploration and growth. I like how Quinn balances both magic and basic investigative skills to solve murders and mysteries and I like that she makes mistakes. She's an amateur detective and it shows. Luckily, she has a crew of vampires ready and willing to help, as well as some human accomplices.

AVR: I agree Quinn is an amateur detective, but she seems to do it in a not so in your face nosy kind of way which is refreshing. And I love the vampires helping with investigations. How exciting for them! I mean, living a long life might get a bit boring after a while.

Overall

AVR: I think this is a much tighter book than book 1 and that may be because book 1’s usually bear the brunt of introduction. The writing is fast and smooth and keeps the pages turning. The murder mystery kept me guessing and Biddy O’Donnell’s story arc is fascinating. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Bea: I agree, this book was tighter; it seems like the author has found her rhythm with this series. I'm optimistic about the future of the series and looking to the next book.

AVR: Yay we agree again! Bring on book 3!