Cozy Monday

Death at First Sight (Bay Island Psychic #1) by Lena Gregory (Berkley Prime Crime mass market paperback, 1 November 2016). 

Burnt out from practicing psychiatry in New York City, Cass Donovan moved to back to her hometown of Bay Island to set up shop as a psychic.  

While doing a reading for Ellie Callahan, one of her regulars, Cass feels an odd sort of shadow passing in front of her.  The only other time she'd had that sensation, someone had died, and Cass has no idea what it could mean this time around.  

Late for a rehearsal for her friend's fashion show, Cass nevertheless stops to get coffee on the way.  But Ellie's domineering mother, Marge Hawkins steps into the line behind her, and begins to loudly berate her for deceiving Ellie.

When she finally arrives at the theatre, she learns that Marge had changed the long-planned date of the fashion show.  Bee, whose designs will be modeled for distributors, angrily declares that the world would be a lot better off with out Marge.  

The next day, Cass arrives at the theatre early, and finds Marge sitting in the orchestra pit, dead.  She waits anxiously for the police to arrive, hoping that her friend  "Tank" Lawrence will be the officer on duty.  But Sherriff Langdon, not a fan of Cass's, answers the call, and immediately suspects Cass of the murder.  

Langdon treats Cass as though she's guilty before he even questions anyone else. Cass, who knows there's no shortage of people who disliked Marge, decides that the only way to prove her innocence is to conduct her own investigation, much to the disapproval of her friends.

Cass is a smart, engaging protagonist, though a bit impetuous, and I look forward to getting to know her and her friends in the next installment of the series, Occult and Battery (publication date not yet announced).


The publisher has generously offered a copy of Death at First Sight to one of my readers.  Please comment below before 12:01 a.m. on Monday, November 7th.  Entries from the US only, please.  
Please don't forget to include an email address where I can contact you if you win!


FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.