Burning Hope

Burning Hope by Wendy Roberts A Red Hooper Mystery #1 Paranormal cozy mystery with a side of romance ~ Great introduction to the series What I liked: * Scarlet “Red” Hooper: fire scryer, descendent of female paranormal psychic seers, vagabond, lives and travels in a camper van decorated with bubbles, new girl in town when she stumbles across a body * Noah Adams: widow, hardware store owner, small town entrepreneur, potential love interest for Red * The small-town vibe * The paranormal aspects * Brandy: Red’s sister, mirror scryer, business owner, ex-addict * Not knowing for sure who the killer was till near the end * The potential growth as the series progresses * Wondering what will happen next What I didn’t like: * The small-town gossips and hate mongers Comment: I wasn’t able to get a handle on Red. Determine her motivations, and understand what drew her and Noah to one another. I hope that in the future books of the series we will learn more about Red’s past and will be able to watch her character develop. Did I enjoy this book? Yes Would I read more by this author? Yes Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review. 3-4 Stars

Burning Hope by Wendy Roberts has Scarlet “Red” Hooper finding the body of Murray in the storeroom on Pincher’s Dollarama. As the newcomer to town, Red becomes Marshal Joel Cobb’s prime suspect. Red is confined to the area until the investigation is complete. The only way to clear her name and be able to leave Hope Harbor is to investigate on her own. Red has a special ability, but she does not how to use it properly. Red’s estranged sister shows up with surprising news and an offer of help. Red is going to need assistance if she is to get out from under Marshal Cobb’s scrutiny. Burning Hope is the debut novel in A Red Hooper Mysteries. It is a paranormal cozy mystery since our protagonist has a special ability. In the beginning of Burning Hope, it did not feel like the first book. I felt like I was plopped into the middle of a series. Things are explained later in the story. The murder occurs in the first chapter leaving the rest of the book for the investigation and learning more about Red. I did not find Red to be a likeable woman. She is not the normal warm main character you find in this type of mystery (cozy mystery with a hint of paranormal). Red is standoffish and keeps people at a distance. I definitely did not like Red’s sister. We meet townspeople along the way with special attention on Noah. Noah is a nice man who owns the local hardware store. Romance is more prevalent than the mystery at times in the story. There were no sparks or chemistry between Red and Noah. The words are there but not the emotions. The mystery was straightforward. There are only a handful of suspects, and the solution was different. I never felt there was a real investigation. The mystery never felt a priority. I also question Red’s special ability. I just did not feel that everything came together into one cohesive story. There is too much repetition especially about Bubbles and Red’s grandmother. The one thing I did like was Muffin, the little kitten that needs a home. Burning Hope does contain foul language, intimate situations, and drug addiction. While Burning Hope is not my cup of tea, others find it appealing (that is the beauty of books). I suggest you obtain a sample to judge for yourself. Burning Hope is an unusual paranormal tale with a coffee catastrophe, a gone groper, distrusting townspeople, a frustrating marshal, a cuddly kitten, surprising secrets, a handsome hardware store owner plus a nomad with her bubble mobile.