Image from Goodreads
Title: Close to You
Author: Stacia Kane
Published: October 2013 by St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Novella, Urban Fantasy
Click here to buy Close to You from Amazon
I’m not usually a fan of novellas, or short stories, unless they are part of a series that I follow. This one is. It’s actually part 5.5 of Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series. So I really don’t think that this one is a stand-alone book. I think the reason I enjoyed it so much was because I already knew the characters well before going into it.
So Chess and Terrible are at a junkyard trying to get some free car parts when they are approached by a creepy old woman who wants money for the parts. Although she was never there before, they assume she’s a new inhabitant and decide to follow her to pay for the parts. Big mistake. It was a ploy and the woman wants to use them to resurrect her dead husband.
Stacia Kane cracks me up. I love her style of writing, and her characters personalities. Chess is a drug addict, but I’m always routing for her and like her none-the-less. Here’s a little excerpt that I enjoyed.
Just as Chess figured, Vincent’s body – well, it wasn’t much of a body at that point, just a skeleton covered in scraps of fabric and scraps of things Chess didn’t want to think about – lay at Mrs. Hudson’s feet. A pillow supported its skull. Around it several items were arranged like afterlife tokens at a Viking funeral: a wallet, a pair of worn tennis shoes, what looked like baseball cards, a pair of socks and some underwear. Very personal, so very powerful. One of the items was a hammer, which was awesome because what they really needed was for Vincent’s ghost to have a deadly bludgeoning tool within easy reach. (Location 395 of 555 on Kindle)
Awesome right? So if you’re already a Stacia Kane fan, definitely pick it up. And if you haven’t read anything by her yet, try the first book in the series, Unholy Ghosts.
My Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 stars
~Pam
*****I received this book free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.*****
I’ve never heard of Stacia Kane, Pam. I am sorry. But wow, I am happy that you were able to enjoy this novella. Previously, I really avoid them because they’re too short to deliver what they need to deliver but after reading some really good ones, I’ve come to appreciate them and I learned to adjust my standards. 😀
I think I’m gonna give this book a try when I have a spare time. Weeee!
Hey, how’s your new year by the way? Is your mum still recuperating wonderfully?
Stacia Kane is awesome, if you do read a book by her, I hope you like it! 🙂
The new year is going good, and my mom is doing okay. Chemo is done, now she needs surgery. Thanks for asking. 🙂
That’s nice to know, Pam. I hope the surgery goes well.