[Book Review] Wicked Bleu: Simone Doucet Series Book 2

Blurb

A 103-year-old murder mystery.

An amateur ghost sleuth.

Can a wrong be rectified in death?

Eight months ago, Simone experienced her first spectral encounter. It awakened a dormant second sight and opened a chasm to the afterlife. Now, another spirit from 1917 New Orleans has wandered through that passage, haunting her with an intoxicating jasmine fragrance and wicked antics.

To escape this mysterious ghost, Simone jumps at a seven-day complimentary Mardi Gras hotel package, unaware there might be an ancestral power behind her decision, an identity she grapples with.

Is the ghost’s name Bleu?

She’s a lady of the night who lived a dangerous life in the infamous Storyville. A place lined with mansion-like brothels on the edge of the French Quarter run by unscrupulous madams and frequented by dangerous criminals. WWI is on the horizon, jazz music is burgeoning, and Bleu’s life unravels.

Visions of her past and horrific death beset Simone as she explores present-day New Orleans with her three roommates.

But why are the images fragmented? Has Bleu forgotten what happened the stormy night she died? Can Simone uncover Bleu’s murderer and reunite her with her loved ones before it’s too late?

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• Purchase link: https://mybook.to/WickedBleu
• Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62919973
• Genre:  Paranormal Suspense
• Print length: 290 pages
• Age range: This is an adult book, but would be suitable for mature teens age 16+
• Trigger warnings: Rape of a minor; racism reflecting a historical time period
• Amazon Rating: 5*
• (This is the second in the Simone Doucet series, but reads well as a standalone novel)

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My Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I usually do not read paranormal suspense/murder mysteries, but I enjoyed this one. I enjoyed the author’s command of the language, and her ability to create music through words. I could feel every whisper, every shift, and every movement as if it were happening in my room.

I also enjoyed the complex and extensive world-building that transported me to a world populated by ghosts, spirits, and formless voices. The dual timeline successfully held my interest as the story switched from the present to the past.

I loved the mystical quality of the story, and the unexpected ending. Of course, readers must be aware of the disturbing scenes before they choose to dive into the book.

(I received an e-copy of the book from Coffee and Thorn Book Tours with a request for an honest review.)

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Praise For Wicked Bleu

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Billups always packs a punch when the other worldly visitations appear, and I found myself eagerly switching back and forth from past to present day, learning of the connections between everyone involved. Watching Simone’s friendships and love interest evolve is a lovely side story, and the author’s depth of research about early 20th century American lifestyles is apparent and pays off in dividends. Toss in the early stages of COVID appearing in America, and there’s a realistic touch that grips readers until the end. What’s causing Simone’s friends to get ill, and is the ghost responsible for all the drama or an unknown illness beginning to spread around the world? I can’t wait to see what happens in a possible third installment. Thanks for making some magic happen, Ms. Billups. Amazon review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is an intoxicating novel, one that you will not be able to set down. The novel is well written, and the world building is extensive and right in shape with the story. A story line of ghosts and paranormal adventures, a girl who goes on a trip with who roommates to New Orleans. She expects to have a wild weekend, only to find it complicated by witches and ghosts and all kinds of various paranormal events. This author is able to captivate you from page one. You find yourself hanging onto the edge of your seat, never being able to set the novel down. This is a complicated, nerve racking and wonderful all at the same time. I can’t wait to read the next one. I know it will be even better. Amazon review

About the Author

E. Denise Billups was born in Monroeville, Alabama, and raised in New York City, where she currently resides. She’s a former Financial Analyst turned writer. A multi-genre fiction author, she’s published six novels and several supernatural short stories. A skilled artist, she trained as a dancer (ballet, modern, and jazz dance) in her younger years and dabbled in writing, which she would not pursue until much later.

As an avid reader of many genres, she was greatly influenced by magical realism, mystery, suspense, and supernatural novels. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s running miles in the park, finding her inner calm with yoga, experimenting with vegan dishes, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Presently, she is working on book two of her trilogy, Twilight Ends, a paranormal historical fiction, and book three of the Simone Doucet Series.

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