Wicked for Hire (Paranormal in Manhattan Mystery: A Cozy Mystery Book 1)

My Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book by the author's representative. I am providing an honest review for which I am receiving no compensation of any kind. All opinions are fully my own.~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat ReviewMy Review:I'll start with the cover since that's what gets your attention in the very beginning. I really am attracted by a great cover! The ones in this series are very good, too! But when you meet the star of the series in Chapter 1, she doesn't seem to match the gal on the cover. At least her description of herself doesn't match. The one on the cover is svelte, sassy-looking, and tall. Mandy describes herself as "5'4", and I'm a size of two--or maybe three--larger than her dress size." She was referring to Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games when she said her. Yes, the gal on the cover is wearing heels, but 5'4"? Okay, no big deal I suppose. It just seemed to bother me for some reason. But she certainly is sassy, and it gets her into trouble over and over. It's also 50% of the humor in the book.The interaction between Mandy and her new boss is hilarious! Rick Rowling (yes, Rowling) is Good-Looking, Arrogant, Intelligent, and Wealthy. You noticed those were all capitalized, right? That was intentional. Everything about Rick is capitalized. Oh, he's also quite Taken with our Mandy girl. From the way she looks to the way the bad guys drop dead after she touches them. He just wants her to keep her mouth shut. Remember the sassy part? Their relationship is volatile.The story happens so fast that all I can remember is their relationship. The story really is skimpy and needs fleshing out. Or is it just the vehicle for their fun and games? Well, I will have plenty of opportunities to find out because I bought all six of the books in the series based on the first book. Still, I only gave this first one three stars because of the sketchy story. No, there is no logic to that other than maybe I can't resist a sale. Even that doesn't explain buying six books you're not sure you will want to read. But I keep coming back to their relationship hijinx. Try this first book and see what you think. Ms. Smith's books are almost always on sale, I think.

If one is up for silly and total nonsense,these campy characters cavort non-stop. No depth and pretty slapstick. Escape reading.

The cover was one of the first things that caught my attention! Gorgeous and fun. Wicked for Hire is a fast-paced story that introduces us to Amanda Meyer, who needs a job after being expelled from medical school. She ends up at the FBI’s Paranormal Cases Division working for, Rick Rowling, the man responsible for her dismissal from medical school.What I liked most about the story was the main characters. They were fun, quirky, and well-matched. Even Rick Rowland who is practical to a fault and comically egotistical made me laugh in several places. The premise of the story was also interesting. The length of the story made it possible to deal with one case, although I would have wished for a longer story with a secondary plot.I felt Character backgrounds could have been beefed up. At the very least I would have liked to know how Mandy got her abilities. Were they inherited? Does anyone else in her family have the same abilities? How did Rick get into solving paranormal cases? Does he have some ability besides a high IQ (this is not actually stated in the story). How did the Paranormal Cases Division of the FBI even get started?Overall, I enjoyed the story and would be interested in reading the rest of the series. I hope some of my questions get answered in the subsequent installments.Disclaimer; I purchased my copy of the book for Amazon

I was so excited to find a new series of mystery books to read, and the author is still writing them so that made me even happier.Until I got half way through the first book.The constant mention of the main character's "Student Loan Debt" is constant AND annoying!!It is mentioned at least once in EVERY chapter, but usually more than once to the point of overkillLike many others, I read to FORGET about real world problems for a while, and enjoy trying to solve the case in the book. Constantly being reminded of something like "Student Loan Debt" defeats that purpose!I was so disappointed because the series seems promising. I've even started book 2 ~ W is for Wicked ~ and am hoping as the series progresses that the character will "Pay off her student loan debt" and we won't have to hear about it EVER again!!

I did love the story and the characters, my only hang up was the writing style. The author’s turn of phrase puts me in mind of an English as a second language person. Some of her sentences were a little hard to decipher, and slightly awkward. For example instead of saying “Better now” she would say “Now, better”. Every bit of dialogue was old like that.On the other hand, I loved the author’s humor and was sucked into the story enough to overlook the odd turn of phrase. I wish she had relied on her humor, her stories and her characters to make her stand apart. That would have definitely done the trick. Instead I feel like she tried to make her books stand out with her writing style instead, and that was less successful. Still, I did really love the other aspects of the book enough to be excited to continue the series.

Rick is a rich FBI agent who solves unusual murder mystery with uncanning madcap flair and success. His new assistant was kicked out of med school for interning at a hospital while examing 3 patient who died. Rick called her the Grim Reaper.Since this was only job she could get, she is to keep track of Rick. Will they solve this murder with no bodies???The characters are quirky, intriguing, and unusual madcap. This fast paced who-dun-it will keep you guessing. Ilike this crazy madcap murder because it kept guessing until the end. I also thought the antics was very funny.I would recommend this mystery for readers who wants something lighthearted.bookwormsuzy

This has to be one of the best cozy mysteries I have ever read. Amanda was so funny. When paired with Rick the laughs kept coming. And there was actual romance in this story, which is something that always tips a story over toward good for me. The science based logic Rick displayed also made me give it a positive tick. I liked that Amanda had been an average student in medical school who had to work hard toward being a doctor. It made her a more believable character, especially when her student debt was tagged on as her motivation for her new job.My only complaint that the mystery was solved too quickly for my liking. But then again Rick does have a stupendous reputation.

A cute little fun story. It's worth giving a try, especially if you're looking for some light hearted fluff. I'm unlimited so I am unverified.

These are witty well written books with likeable characters and great storylines. Absolutely love them and binge reading the whole series now

A paranormal mystery that's a little different. A touch of Stephanie Plum and the Grim reaper thrown together. The book is a little slow in parts but I will read the next one.

Terrific! A paranormal cozy with humour. The characters are great and the plot is well developed and has a twist at the end. A fabulous read and can't wait to see what happens next.