Haunting Violet Review

Haunting Violet

Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Mystery/Paranormal
Publish Date: June 21st, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:
Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

My Review:
Seances, Spirit Boards, dark mirrors are all a part of black magic. I’m not a huge black magic fan. I dislike the creepiness and evil it invites. But I adore mysteries of all types. So I decided to give this book a chance since it had both. To my surprise, I liked it! The author I think handled the black magic very well, and it had a sixth sense kind of feel, which I also liked. The main character, Vi, is very likable which is good, especially when her mom is such a nut job. I did think the "best friend since we were little turning into true love" thing is getting a little old. It seems that that's the only way to fall in love in books lately.

On the mystery side of things the author did a great job keeping the killer secret. There were many suspects, a lot of twists, yet it was not a total shock when you find out who really did it. That’s the main element in a mystery that most authors need to watch out for. Hinting who did it while not giving it away and at the same time making the reader think it’s someone else. Violet and her friend are really intelligent about the way they try to investigate, which really is important to me, as I have read a lot of other mysteries. Really good book, I couldn't put it down all day.

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