Tag Archives: pathologist

Release Blitz: Dead Serious Case #2: Mrs Delores Abernathy by Vawn Cassidy

Dead Serious Case #2: Mrs Delores Abernathy | Vawn Cassidy

Crawshank’s Guide to the Recently Departed #2

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Release Date: October 31st, 2022

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Blurb

In the business of unfinished business…

It’s been over six months since a freak accident left pathologist Tristan Everett able to see ghosts, something he has yet to confess to his boyfriend. Instead, he now has a new calling, one he’s not entirely happy about… help the dead resolve their unfinished business so they can pass into the light, sounds simple right?

Wrong…

When the spirit of a sweet old lady follows him home he has no idea how to help her. When he finds out she’s been murdered by arsenic poisoning, a curiously outdated murder weapon, he once again finds himself tangled up in a murder investigation.

For Inspector Danny Hayes of New Scotland Yard, life couldn’t be better. After moving to London and meeting Tristan he’s ready to move their relationship to the next level, but something weird is going on with Tristan, he’s acting very strangely and with a killer on the loose he’s not taking any chances. He’s determined to discover whatever it is Tristan’s hiding from him.

Surrounded by a bunch of potentially murderous old ladies and aided by his sidekick, deceased drag queen and spirit guide in training, Dusty, Tristan must unravel the mystery of Mrs Delores Abernathy’s unfinished business and find the courage to share his deepest secret with the man he loves.

From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy, comes the second book in this funny and touching paranormal MM romance/dark comedy suspense series.

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Excerpt

Shoving the shower curtain aside roughly, I let loose a rather unmanly scream as my eyes land on a strange person standing in front of the closed door of the bathroom. I grab the shower curtain as my feet slip out from under me on the wet ceramic bathtub. I roll into the shower curtain, clutching on tightly as I lose my balance and go down, sending the plastic clips pinging off in all directions like tiny missiles knocking bottles off shelves and cracking the corner of the bathroom mirror. Pain clangs through my elbow and vibrates up my arm as, cocooned in clear plastic, I slide into the bath, breathing heavily and looking like I’ve been gift wrapped by a serial killer.

“Owwww,” I croak slowly to no one in particular.

Reaching one arm over the edge of the bath, my body follows and I flop ungraciously onto the rug like a newborn baby seal. Squinting without my glasses on I can just about make out the still figure standing in front of the bathroom door clutching a handbag.

Mrs Abernathy, I realise with a groan of resignation. What is it with ghosts? First Dusty and now the old lady. What part of the bathroom is off limits do they not understand? Is nothing sacred anymore?

I’m about to open my mouth when the bathroom door swings open and Danny strides in, passing straight through Mrs Abernathy and making her disappear into a thin vaporous mist.

“I heard a crash.” Danny’s eyes land on me sprawled out on the floor. “You okay?” His brow quirks as he takes in the assortment of displaced bottles and small plastic shower curtain clips everywhere.

“Slight shower malfunction.” I release a winded breath. “A little help, please.”

He strides toward me and effortlessly scoops me off the floor. His hands are gentle, his eyes filled with concern.

“Did you hurt yourself?” He frowns. “Maybe we should get you looked at, you might have a concussion.”

“I’m fine,” I manage.

“We could call 111.” He turns me slowly, peeling me out of the shower curtain like he’s un-bandaging The Mummy in a Lon Chaney movie.

“I wouldn’t even call 111 for advice on how to remove a splinter.” I wrinkle my nose. “Honestly, I’m fine.”

He wraps the towel around me, pinning my arms to my sides as he drops a kiss on my nose. “Be more careful, I have plans for this gorgeous body later.” He smiles, kissing my lips softly.

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Start The Series

Dead Serious Case #1: Miz Dusty Le Frey

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Blurb

Tristan Everett had always preferred the company of the dead because they were quiet and didn’t talk back. As a slightly awkward introvert working as a pathologist at the Hackney Public Mortuary suited him just fine. That is, until a freak accident with a rogue ice cube and suddenly he can see ghosts. No longer content to just lie on the table and let him figure out how they died, they’re now peering over his shoulder critiquing his work and confessing their most lascivious sins before skipping off merrily into the afterlife.

Just when he thought his life couldn’t get any weirder, London’s most infamous drag queen, Miz Dusty Le Frey, is wheeled in with a toe tag and she’s not prepared to go quietly into the light. Not only is she furious at the prospect of spending eternity in last season’s gold lamé, she’s determined that he help her solve her murder.

Suddenly Tristan finds himself thrown into a world of sequins and fake eyelashes, and worse still, he may have developed a crush on Scotland Yard’s brand new drool-worthy detective, Inspector Danny Hayes, who’s been assigned to Dusty’s murder. Oh, and the killer now wants him dead too…

All he ever wanted was a simple life but suddenly he’s juggling work, a deliciously sexy detective, a stubborn ghost and a relentless murderer… and things have just gotten dead serious….

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About the Author

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Vawn Cassidy is the MM pen name of British author Wendy Saunders, she lives in the UK with her husband and children. She loves all things MM and is an avid reader herself.

As Vawn Cassidy she writes Paranormal/Dark Comedy/Mystery and Contemporary Romance and more recently is branching out into Historical & Supernatural MM/LGBTQ+ Fiction with her upcoming London Gothic series.

She also has an insane love of Lego and pop culture.

Social Media

Website: www.vawncassidy.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/VawnCassidyAuthor

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/group/cassidysbayboys

Instagram: www.instagram.com/vawncassidyauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/VawnCassidy

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/vawncassidy

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/profile/vawn-cassidy

Amazon: www.amazon.com/~/e/B098XMW7M1

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Dead Serious 2, Vawn is giving away a signed paperback of Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Deceased Book #2

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

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A triumphant second entry in this ghostly romance mystery series

62685184._SY475_Dead Serious Case #2 Mrs Delores Abernathy by Vawn Cassidy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I absolutely LOVED this one!

Tris and Danny are now completely in love with each other, things are going along nicely, with just little hiccups along the way as they deal with whether or not they’re rushing into things having said the I love yous and spending nearly all their available time together.

The wonderful Dusty, of Drag Queen murder fame in book one, is now back as Tris’ spirit guide and she’s as outrageously fabulous as ever and on hand to help when something a little bit odd happens at the care home where Martin, Tris’ father, is being looked after.

With another murder to investigate, another sweet little old lady ghost hanging round with unfinished business, and the occasional accidental spiritual displacement to deal with, this book romps along at a cracking pace without ever feeling like the story is being rushed.

There were so many moments I was chuckling like a hyena to myself, others I got a wee bit teary as the narrative pulls on all the heart strings at times, and ultimately I was cheering my head off as the gang all comes together to try and work out what’s gone on.

Even the ginormous! (not quite cliff hanger-y) type big reveal at the end could spoil my enjoyment of this book.

It’s not really a cliffhanger as such, this story is all wrapped up by the end, but it’s a big massive lead in to what’s going to go down in Book Three and that cannot come soon enough.

Loved it. Also intrigued by two new characters we’re introduced to in this book who I won’t reveal.

PS: This would make an utterly fabulous TV show!

#ARC kindly received from the author via GRR Tours in return for an honest and unbiased review

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Hands down my favourite from a quite exceptionally good Kiwi-set series

UpCloseAndPersonal_Digital_WebUp Close and Personal by Jay Hogan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My favourite in this series for sure, I absolutely loved the prickly Dr Edward R Newton and adored out there Detective Mark Knight.

I also love that each book in this series has been radically different from the others, this one falling almost directly into the romantic suspense narrative.

Now, I will admit that the big bad did make me ‘wtf’ a bit but I won’t spoiler what my reasons were as I don’t want to ruin anyone’s reading experience.

Having said that though, I think Jay definitely did enough leg work in to make it flow naturally in the plot without it coming from left field.

Lots of delicious UST and slow burn, lots of brilliant communication and honesty, and plenty of emotional vulnerability all drew this into a cohesive and engaging story.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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