‘Duck Duck Ghost’ by @rhys_ford #LGBT #Review #GuestPost

MtSnow and Bethany review Duck Duck Ghost (Hellsinger #2) by Rhys Ford. (Published by Dreamspinner Press on September 8th 2014, 240 pgs) 

Hey! I am Rhys Ford… speaking to you in my own… okay that doesn’t work. Does anyone else remember Don Carnage!? He’s speaking at you in his own voice! Ah, the esoteric memories. You’ll probably want to skip this part during the next few…*coffs*…okay, over a dozen blogs as I parcel out a short tale featuring Wolf and Tristan!

Welcome to a Hellsinger Investigation!

There will be prizes and giveaways. Be sure to hit up each blog for an update on the investigation. I have brought in for this tale of ghosts and shenanigans two special prizes (well many of them…but two!). You might have seen them already; a pair of cuddly alpaca and a braided leather Wolf sigil bracelet. You’ll be able to win one or both at each stop with a Grand Prize to be given away at the end of the tour.

The giveaway for this spot is: A Wolf Sigil Bracelet

Leave a comment to be entered to win!

Hellsinger Investigations

File #241

Residence: Hazel Maplethorn-Bocker
Paranormal Activity: Objects Relocating
Location: Eureka, CA

The residence is occupied by Ms. M-B and ten cats. Client is retired school-teacher and has no history of psychic or paranormal activity either personal or in residence. Residence is 1940s bungalow with no recorded deaths. Land cleared of any prior paranormal activity; formerly undeveloped acreage. No structures or causalities reported at location. Cannot discount native population or transitory inhabitants prior to establishment of city boundaries.

Team: Gidget and Matt

Consultant: Tristan Pryce

PART TEN

“They took all the food,” Tristan complained from his perch in front of the freezer. “Even the ice cream.”

“I’ll get you ice cream tomorrow,” Wolf said, firmly closing the freezer door. “There’s fruit the Terrible Twosome bought. And I can make you an iced latte or something. If you want that.”

“What I want is rum raisin ice cream.” His lover shot him a dirty look through his mop of blond hair. “What I’m going to do is go out to the sun room and feed Hazel’s cats. Then we can talk about Deidre.”

“Deidre is definitely on the to-talk about list. And I already fed Hazel’s cat.” Wolf nudged a licked clean food dish he’d filled with tuna and salmon surprise earlier. “I might feed him again just so he doesn’t eat us in our sleep.”

“Not…Gandalf,” Tristan mumbled, digging through the pantry. Extracting five cans of wet food, he frowned. “I hope this is enough for them. It’s all she’s got. If I’d known she was so low, I’d have asked Gidget to grab some when they hit the store.”

There hadn’t been a chance to talk since Tristan dropped his bombshell in Hazel’s room and if Wolf didn’t act fast, he’d lose his lover to the care and feeding of Hazel’s already rotund cat. He followed Tristan out to the sun room, a heavily windowed space behind the kitchen. “Babe, she only has one cat. Yeah, the file said she has ten but that was a typo.”

“Then explain all of them,” Tristan snorted and waved his arm about as if unveiling a car from behind a prize curtain.

The room was empty of people. There were signs the cops had taken it over to process some of the evidence they’d gathered, mostly a few strips of plastic from baggies they’d shoved food into but those were neatly placed in a delicate looking metal trash can next to a pair of hunter green arm chairs. An afghan, much like the one Hazel’d wrapped around herself, lay draped over the back of a plaid loveseat set under a bank of windows set into the room’s long wall. There was proof of cat there. A thin layer of long grey hair coated the soft pink yarn.

“Huh,” Wolf said slowly. “Cats, huh?”

“Dude, they’re everywhere!” Tristan looked around at the floor. “Now help me find their dishes.”

“Babe, I love you but…” He crossed over to where Tristan stood peering around an ottoman. “The only cat in this house is Gandalf the Pig. And he’s already eaten.”

“You don’t see them then?” His lover’s eyebrows pulled in close, worry creasing his nose and Tristan’s mouth tightened as he thinned his lips. “Really?”

“Really,” Wolf assured him.

“I can usually tell… I mean, cats! People are harder sometimes. Like the one time that church lady came to the Grange and told me I was going to hell because…well, she has issues with monsters. Even good ones. I thought she was a guest. She looked like a guest. She had pearls and sensible shoes on! Who the hell looks like June Cleaver at three in the afternoon?” Tristan sat down on the ottoman and dug the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Fuck. Shit. I hate this crap. I can’t even…”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Wolf murmured. He carefully stepped around Tristan’s legs then sat down on the chair in front of his distressed lover. “So there aren’t any cats we can see but fuck, it’s kind of cool Hazel’s so nice her damned cats want to stick around after they’re gone.”

“They’re not her cats. They’re ours.” A gravelly female voice sent echoes through the room and Wolf stiffened his shoulders, looking around for who spoke. “More importantly, who the fuck are you, why are you in my house and where is Hazel?”

We were given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:

Paranormal investigator Wolf Kincaid knows what his foot tastes like.

Mostly because he stuck it firmly in his mouth when his lover, Tristan Pryce, accidentally drugged him with a batch of psychotropic baklava. Needing to patch things up between them, Wolf drags Tristan to San Luis Obispo, hoping Tristan’s medium ability can help evict a troublesome spirit haunting an old farmhouse.

With Wolf’s sister handling Hoxne Grange’s spectral visitors, Tristan finds himself in the unique position of being able to leave home for the first time in forever, but Wolf’s roughshod treatment is the least of his worries. Tristan’s ad-hoc portal for passing spirits seems to be getting fewer and fewer guests, and despite his concern he’s broken his home, Tristan agrees to help Wolf’s cousin, Sey, kick her poltergeist to the proverbial curb.

San Luis Obispo brings its own bushel of troubles. Tristan’s ghost whispering skill is challenged not only by a terrorizing haunting but also by Wolf’s skeptical older cousin, Cin. Bookended by a pair of aggressive Kincaids, Tristan soon finds himself in a spectral battle that threatens not only his sanity but also his relationship with Wolf, the first man he’s ever loved.

Why MtSnow read this: Because it’s Rhys. She hasn’t let me down yet *smiles*

Rhys has done it again. Honestly. It baffles and amazes me how some of these authors are able to venture outside the box we tend to put them in and reinvent themselves. I’d just completed listening to all her bi-racial Asian Cole McGinnis private investigator series that are on audio as of now. Excellent by the way! Then her Asian/Brit with a touch O’ Irish Sinner’s Gin (think hot rock n rollers) series. Outstanding, too! And addictive. All of them. With snark, loving family, whether by blood or life circumstance.. Gotta love that sarcastic wit. And humor. And more tears *damn you, again, dear author*

When we finished with Tristan and Wolf in the first book, I was sure it was an HEA! Well, somehow between there and here, Wolf f*ked up. Big time. Amazing what can happen in a week! So, we intro in to Wolf wrestling creepy crawlies in Florida, and Tristan worrying about losing his lovely bed and breakfast/haunted hotel and getting to where even  HE can’t see his guests anymore. Not even his beloved Mara…All because of Wolf *and family*.

I admit, when I was first introduced to Tristan and Wolf in the first book of this series, it took me a little bit to warm up to them. Paranormal ghosts and spirits were outside the realm I’d expected from Rhys. But. I should’ve known. Outstanding. Fun. Gory. Story.*smirk*

Saying that, being a new adventure by this author, I should’ve known, as I was pulled in quickly. There is no sitting around being bored waiting for the action. I always tell myself I’ll put it down after this chapter. Then I find myself engrossed in the next chapter! *sneaky how they do that*

This book in addition to the previous ‘Fish and Ghosts’ made me decide I’m good with digging back into paranormal after thinking ‘I’d been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt’ And with the introduction of some crazy family members (and one VERY hot and snarky cousin. Can you say ‘Sin’? *sigh* Oops. I mean Cin), a creepy little girl, floating broken doll heads and eyeballs, and salt galore. Well, this story was a very fun trip into the unknown! I’m loving this series, and can’t wait for the next one.

Just know, it too has a cliffhanger ending, and I have a feeling you’ll be looking forward to reading them all. One of my auto-buy authors. Highly recommended.

Why Bethany read this: Um, hello….its Rhys Ford and I am a total fangirl.

If you have read any of my previous reviews you will know that I have a few authors that I go to when I need a book that will not let me down.  Rhys Ford is one of those authors. I know that whatever story she has for me I will fall in love with it.  Well, let me tell you, she did not disappoint with this one. If anything she set the bar even higher.  She is truly a phenomenal story teller.

I really was not sure how she was going to top Fish and Ghosts, cuz I truly believed Wolf and Tris had found their HEA.  Oh, how very wrong I was. Wolf not only messed up big time but he had major help from his momma, which if you have read my review on Fish and Ghosts, you know how much I love that woman.  But I am not going to tell you WHAT he did cause that shit was just TOO funny, like pee your pants funny.

So when we finally get to Sey’s house and find out just what is haunting her I almost had to walk the hell away.  I am not normally a fan of ghost stories cuz I believe in that stuff and quite frankly it gives me the hibbie gibbies.  So when I started reading about dolls, and clowns, and CHILDREN ghosts, I was like…nope….no way……not gonna happen. I was ready to turn the review over to MtSnow and say have at it.  I mean come on Rhys, CLOWNS!!!!!!!!!!!  BUT I needed to see where she was planning on taking my sweet Tris and hard-headed Wolf.  Well, she puts them through the wringer only to prove once again they kick ass and take names.

Now let’s talk the ending. MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR cliff hanger.  Rhys WHYYYYYYYYYY do you do this to me.  That is all on this subject.

Look. If you are reading this you are probably already a big Rhys Ford fan, and nothing I say here is going to change that for you.  But if you are new to Rhys Ford’s work my suggestion is go get Fish and Ghosts first and have this one on deck, cuz I can promise you will NOT be able to put either of them down till you have read every last page.  Well done Rhys, well done.  Can’t wait for the next Hellsinger book.

Order:

Amazon ♥ Dreamspinner Press ♥ All Romance ♥ Goodreads ♥ Barnes & Noble  ♥

 

Rhys Ford was born and raised in Hawai’i then wandered off to see the world. After chewing through a pile of books, a lot of odd food, and a stray boyfriend or two, Rhys eventually landed in San Diego, which is a very nice place but seriously needs more rain.

Rhys admits to sharing the house with three cats of varying degrees of black fur and a ginger cairn terrorist. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, a Toshiba laptop, and an overworked red coffee maker.

Find Rhys here:

My Blog ♥ Facebook ♥ Twitter

And at the Starbucks down the street. No really, they’re 24/7. And a drive-thru. It’s like heaven.

My books can be purchased, folded and first chapters read at Dreamspinner Press. http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

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Prism Alliance

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