61st book of 2022
Tanz is a wine-loving, straight-talking, once-successful TV actress from Gateshead, whose career has shrivelled like an antique walnut. She is still grieving for her friend Frank, who died in a car crash three years ago, and she has to find a normal job in London to fund her cocktail habit. When she starts work in a ‘new age’ shop, Tanz suddenly discovers that the voices she’s hearing in her head are real, not the first signs of madness, and that she can give people ‘messages’ from beyond the grave. Alarmed, she confronts her little mam and discovers she is from a long line of psychic mediums. Despite an exciting new avenue of life opening up to Tanz, darkness isn’t far away and all too soon there’s murder in the air.
CW: death, crime, alcoholism
Rating
Review
I was intrigued by this book when I first saw it but decided not to buy it. Then when I went to London, I saw it again, and I decided that this time I would take it.
This book is a good surprise as it’s a rapid read, but so funny and transporting. It also had a lot of nostalgia for me as here we are following a girl named Tanz who lived in Crouch End in the north of London, I lived there for a year, so I was quickly immersed in the story as I could place all the stores she is talking to.
A significant portion of the book is about her finding her power. I liked how she is surrounded by people who just knew before she accepted it. She mastered them quickly as she knew how to use them but didn’t think she was using them. I liked the ghosts even if they appeared for a short time. They all have their story and it was sometimes heartbreaking to know why they are still here, especially the first one.
The only issue I had was the construction of the book. In the synopsis, they talked about murder and at some point, I was waiting for it. Whenever she encountered someone, I was: is it the moment? Also, it’s rapidly solved in the way that we already know who did it, but we don’t know why. However, I wasn’t prepared for the events of the end. Like what?!
This book reminds me a lot of a TV show that I liked to watch when I was younger: Ghost Whisperer but without all the pathos. I can’t wait to be in December for the second book in this series.
Liz.
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