Category: Historical Paranormal/Fantasy

A Grave Gift by Christy Carlyle

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Grave Gift (Electra Poole Mysteries, #1)

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5
Series: Electra Poole Mysteries #1
Publication Date: 12/23/25
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 269


I’ve long been a fan of this author’s historical romances, so I was delighted to find she has also leaped into historical mysteries. Now, I have become an even bigger fan of her historical mysteries than I am of her historical romances.


This new series features a unique young Victorian woman, Electra Poole, who is gifted (or cursed, she hasn’t decided yet) with psychometry. She has the ability to ‘see’ past events by touching an object or person. To me, her psychic gift seems to be going a bit beyond psychometry, but I don’t have a word for that. 😊 Electra has kept her gift hidden all of her life because her mother had the same gift and was placed into an asylum because of it. However, now that her father has died (he’s the one who committed her mother), she’s beginning to explore her gifts. She has no real control over them yet, but she’s learning.


In order to support herself, Electra has slowly begun to use London’s obsession with mediums, seances, and spiritualists by holding her own version of a séance. She doesn’t claim to be able to contact the dead, but curates the experience toward offering help to find lost things, etc.


Electra has no clue what the invitation to hold a reading for Lady Becknell will lead to, or she might have declined. The whole reading is a very strange encounter in the Becknell household – and it leads to her foreseeing the death of Lady Becknell.


Electra feels deeply regretful that she foresaw the death, but didn’t share it with Lady Becknell. Therefore, she feels driven to help solve the murder even though the Detective Inspector wants her to stay out of his case. DI Gideon Pierce shares a past with Electra, and though they’ve been estranged for several years, he is still drawn to her. Although he doesn’t necessarily believe in or trust her gift, he fully believes in her.


The investigation takes them through the higher echelons of British Aristocracy and leads Electra into danger. The inner workings of the Becknell household are a twisted abyss that will test Gideon and Electra to the end. There are plenty of red herrings, twists, turns, and more suspects than the law allows.


If you enjoy a well-plotted and excellently paced historical mystery, this is the book for you. I’m loving the mystery and the paranormal aspects, and cannot wait to read the second book.

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James

On By TracyIn First Person Narrative, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Paranormal / Fantasy, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Last Lady BThe Last Lady B by Eloisa James

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: May 12, 2026

Lady Genevieve “Evie” Hughes, becomes the fourth wife of the much older Lord Burnsby to secure her younger sister’s future. They marry and she moves to her new home in the Scottish Highlands, a remote and possibly haunted abbey, populated with eccentric characters, including an outspoken aunt, a socially exiled stepdaughter, and her husband’s long-standing mistress. Amid the abbey’s wintry halls and ghostly rumors, Evie finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Sir Godric Everly, a sharp-witted solicitor who openly dislikes her husband. As secrets unravel and the shadows of the past close in, Evie must navigate a web of deceit, multiple wills, and a mysterious death that leaves her widowed and free to choose her own path—though matters of the heart and reputation prove just as complicated as the spectral mysteries.

In a social media post, author Elosia James promised that this book was something new and different, and she didn’t lie, this book was nothing like her previous books. This was a quirky, entertaining romance that balances humor, intrigue, and a dash of macabre. While the first-person perspective gives Evie’s voice a fresh, curious edge, I personally found the narrative style difficult to connect with—it often limited my emotional engagement, especially with Godric, whose inner thoughts remain somewhat obscure. The slow burn romance was a bit frustrating for me, as the main characters didn’t come together until very late in the story. I also want to note that the blurb is somewhat deceptive: although it suggests Evie is widowed early on, she is not actually widowed until late in the book, which significantly shapes the pacing and development of the plot. However, I did appreciate that there was no actual adultery on Evie’s part, which made it easier for me to enjoy her journey toward self-discovery. The secondary characters add a sense of found family, and the gothic elements are more playful than chilling. Though the pacing felt uneven with major plot developments occurring late—the book’s charm lies in its witty dialogue, eccentric characters, and the heroine’s growth. Overall, this was a lighter, character-driven historical romance with a twist of mystery and a touch of absurdity which made for an engaging read, but I definitely didn’t care for the first-person narrative style and I don’t think I would read the book again.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *