Review: The Case of the Secret Spirit-Half

The Case of the Secret Spirit-Half by Lucy Banks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss+, all opinions are my own.  This book releases October 11, 2022.

This is the fifth and final installment of the Dr. Ribero's Supernatural Agency Series.  I would highly recommend reading the previous books in the series, as this one picks up where book four left off and finally gives us some long awaited answers to many questions that we've had about our lovable cast of characters.  This particular installment mainly focuses on Kester and his mother as we learn about Gretchen's backstory and all of the secrets she kept.  The last book left us with a pretty big cliffhanger, and this book will give you the answers you are looking for in quite an unexpected way.  I really enjoyed the creative way that the author told us Gretchen's story and in turn we learn alot about Kester.

If you've been following the series from the beginning Kester has come such a long way from the terrified boy he was when we first met him.  He has finally accepted his abilities and sticks up for himself and what he feels is the right thing.  He's really grown as a character and he's learned alot.    He hurt alot of people with his decision in the previous book, but he knew it was the right thing. 

 He wouldn't have been able to do that in the first book.  His friends at the agency felt betrayed for good reason, but Kester felt that if they understood his reasoning they would forgive him or atleast understand why he did what he did.  This has a great underlying message about teamwork and working together when you have different approaches and ideas to solving a problem.  I also liked the message about giving people a chance when they are different (be that a spirit or a human).  

This keeps in like with the other books and still has the cozy feel with a paranormal aspect.  I did miss the rest of the characters as they weren't present for much of the book.  Their antics on their supernatural missions were so funny and I missed their banter, but this was the ending the series needed to wrap up all of the loose ends.  I loved this series and this was a great way to end it.  

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Review: The Case of the Twisted Truths by Lucy Banks

The Case of the Twisted Truths by Lucy Banks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchanged for an honest review.  This book comes out on October 6, 2020.

This is book four of the Dr. Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural Series.  I thought that this was the final book of the series, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there will be more books.  I really enjoy this series.  The cast of characters is hilarious, and they are terrible at investigating the supernatural and sending them back to whence they came.  This book does end on a cliffhanger, however I'm glad to know that we will finally uncover some of the missing pieces of the backstory.

Like the other books, this follows Kester, a lovable character who kind of stumbles along his newfound life in the realm of the paranormal after his mother's death.  His mother was involved in the paranormal world, but kept it all from Kester and now that he has reunited with his father he has been thrust into the paranormal world and is trying to find his place in it.  Unlike the previous books in the series, where his father's "ghost hunting" agency is actively working on a case, this book is mainly focused on Kester and following up on events of the previous book [book:The Case of the Hidden Daemon|44556436].  Kester is still facing his fear of the spirit world, which terrifies him, trying to learn his father's business, and going to the university to learn about all things paranormal.  While juggling all of his responsibilities he finds himself in the middle of a moral dilemma and he can't tell anyone what he is doing.  Hrschni, the daemon who kidnapped him, has an agenda that Kester doesn't support, but he also has information that Kester is desperate to learn.  

I really liked that Kester is finally accepting his fate as a spirit door opener and starting to believe in himself.  He is still scared of his own shadow, but he is starting to find his stride.  I loved seeing him finally stick up to his father when it came to running the business.  Kester's development is slow, but he makes steps in the direction in each book.  It is mentioned in this book that he is only 23 years old, so he is still figuring out who he is as a person and he's had a lot thrown at him in a short amount of time.  While I didn't appreciate the cliffhanger (who does), I do like that we are finally going to find out more about Kester's mysterious mother and perhaps why she kept so many secrets in the next installment.

I love this series and highly recommend it if you are looking for a paranormal, mystery type of series.  This series sort of fits into the cozy genre as there is some comedy and it is fun and easy to read.  I've really come to love the characters and really like the humor.

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Review: The Case of the Hidden Daemon by Lucy Banks

The Case of the Hidden Daemon by Lucy Banks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This will be released on October 23, 2018.  I do recommend reading atleast book 2 before reading this one.  Book 1 was pretty much a standalone, but this one picks up where book 2 leaves off.  If you are going to read book 2, though start at the beginning because book 1 is great.  I really like this series. 

As was the case with the previous book in the series I really loved this. The band of characters is really comical. They each have a specific paranormal ability that helps them with their "ghost hunting". They all have flawed personalities and insecurities, and if they didn't work together they wouldn't work anywhere else. I do wish Kester would kind of find himself and his backbone. He keeps starting to find his courage and then he reverts to the naive, insecure, scared little boy. It doesn't help that people are constantly insulting him all of the time. I do hope that as the series continues Kester begins to conquer his fears and his colleagues begin to respect him. Overall, though I do really like the characters, they are witty and funny, and at the heart of it they really do care about each other.

This particular installment didn't focus on sending a spirit back to the spirit realm, but it did focus on daemons this time which is new for the series. I really liked the way Kester had to step up and solve the clues that the daemon left behind and the inclusion of the Thelemites, a cult-like organization that focuses on human-spirit interaction. As Kester and the agency try to figure out what the daemon and the Thelemites are up to, Kester is also trying to navigate a budding romance with librarian Anya. Anya has gotten herself mixed up in with the Thelemites and Kester is trying to protect her and fumble through his first relationship.

I will say I hate cliffhangers, this one wasn't too bad. The story does end, but it leaves you wanting more. I can't wait for the next book and to see where this is headed. There are so many different ways the story can play out and I'm so exited to see where it goes next. I have so many unanswered questions. Overall, I love this series and I highly recommend it.

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