Review - An Unhappy Medium

Hard to believe that I had not read the precious three installments in this series!  Too many books and so little time. But I am jumping in on the fourth in the series and had no trouble understanding the characters and town.  Read on for more about murder during a zombie run in the woods!

Author: Dawn Eastman

Copyright: April 2016 (Berkley) 304 pgs

Series: 4th in Family Fortune Mystery series

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy (slightly paranormal)

Main Character: Clyde Fortune, a former cop and novice psychic

Setting: Modern day, Crystal Haven, Michigan

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

All of Crystal Haven, Michigan, is psyching up to participate in a Zombie Fun Run organized by Clyde’s nephew Seth, but Clyde is fretful about the upcoming event. Her estranged sister, Grace, has unexpectedly returned to town after fifteen years. Plus, Clyde has the nagging feeling that something is about to go wrong.

When one of the zombie runners is found murdered in the same costume as Grace's husband Paul...then both disappear it seems Grace's business troubles she mentioned have caught up with her. Clyde realizes her grim premonition is dead-on. Now, she and her police detective boyfriend Mac must find the murderer.

I really enjoyed Clyde Fortune as the main character. She didn't sugar-coat her issues with her sister - which are beyond sibling rivalries. Mac is very understanding of everything that takes place and sticks by Clyde. I like Mac and want to go back and read their meeting, which is saying a lot for me since I am tired of the cliche cop boyfriend. Clyde's family are all well realized and nephew Seth is a positive element.

The zombie run was spine-tingling atmospheric and the hints of trouble following Grace to town built suspense without being obvious. The plot has several layers for a more intricate story than usual (A+ there). The pacing was finely tuned and had me hooked chapter after chapter. The climax had a good killer reveal and some thrills. The wrap-up tied up most loose ends with a thread left to carry into the next book.

I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. A well executed and layered plot alongside engaging characters with some touches of goose-bump worthy settings makes for a strong cozy.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it, it had a good grip on me! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list