The Mirrors (Tori Hartley Mystery Book 1)
Author: E. F. Townsend
3.5 out of 5 stars
Tori Hartley is an antique dealer who lives in the Old Louisville neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky. Along with her own small home, she also owns a large mansion that she rents out. When her renter, Scott, goes missing, Tori feels compelled to help with the investigation. Especially when she discovers that Scott was experiencing paranormal activity in the mansion. Tori meets Hal Breakspear, a private detective experienced with paranormal investigations, who was hired by Scott’ mother. Hal agrees to let Tori Join him for his investigation. Will Scott ever be found? Was he really experiencing something paranormal, or is there more going on?
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked all of the characters. Tori’s varying moments of determination and timidness was relatable. The plot was very intriguing and sucked me in. Is it a ghost, a living person, or a mix of both?
The writing wasn’t bad, but there were some problems. The more thrilling scenes had a great atmosphere, like during the paranormal activity or when Tori is investigating something nerve-wracking, either on her own or with Hal. These were my favorite scenes in the book. Tori’s anxiety and fear came through really well, and I just wanted to read faster to find out what was going to happen next. There were also some really nice descriptions, particularly of the sky at different times of day and the old buildings. Now I want to visit Old Louisville.
However, sometime the descriptions were too much. And there were too many adjectives used throughout. Honestly, there are only so many times you can read “steaming hot cup of coffee/tea,” Tori’s cozy living room, or that something is lovely before it starts to get annoying. And some of the word choices throughout the story were just a bit odd.
So while I liked the book, the issues with descriptions and use of adjectives definitely affected how much I liked it, which is why I’m rating it 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you don’t mind the things I disliked, and you like mysteries or stories with paranormal events, then you’ll like this book.
Current price through Amazon Kindle: $5.55
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CMP4Z9B
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