A new cozy series by two of my favorite authors. I had to read this book. And I love the title for the series, Purple Door Detective Agency. I have a page on Pinterest that’s all about doors and have many pictures of purple ones.

I also was excited this was a paranormal cozy. I like the themes of cozies. Pets, sewing, books, and food. And now Paranormal!

I’m entering the door now.

One thing I know I’ll get when I read a cozy by Jim and Joyce Lavene is colorful characters. Not only are they colorful, they aren’t all humans.

Meet Sunshine Merryweather. A private investigator. She handles all of the paranormal cases while trying to keep it from the public eye.

The authors description of Sunshine reminded me of Penelope (baby girl) from Criminal Minds. She never leaves the house without make-up on, hair perfectly poofed, and some kind of spangled outfit. Her favorite color is purple, hence the agencies name, and she wears it, works in it, and lives with purple.

Sunshine is young for a witch, only 75 years old. She’s got some serious powers though. While a good, witch, you don’t want to get on her bad side. Watch her hair. When you’ve annoyed her, her golden locks start to look more like a strawberry blond. You never want it to go red.

Once through the purple door, you’re greeted by Jane, the receptionist. The agency is looking for a new associate, and the waiting room is filled with werewolves, hags, vampires, and other scary characters. I didn’t blame Jane for hiding in the closet. Especially after I learned more about her.

Jane is the victim of a spell gone wrong. One cast by none other than Sunshine. She’s still trying to fix it. Jane is a mouse, literally. She can shift to human form. I had such fun with her. She is timid like a mouse, always hungry like one, and likes to nibble on things.

Some scenes that had me laughing:

Sunshine talking to Jane:

“Stay out of the cereal.”

“Take messages and try not to nibble on them.”

A new client walks through the purple door.

Meet Aine, a beane sidhe, or banshee. She needs help and her scream insures she gets it. Aine is looking for the last surviving member of the O’Neill line. She must find him, be there to warn him of his impending death, and lead him to the other side. Woken from a two hundred year sleep, she finds a whole new world. The technology bewilders her but she quickly starts catching on. She’s not there for the job opening, but she gets the job.

There’s a job opening because Sunshine’s lover, a werewolf, was torn to pieces several days ago. She not only needs to fill the vacancy. She needs help tracking down his killer. She wants vengeance, in blood.

There’s one door at the agency that stays closed. It’s the office of Mr. Bad. That’s what Sunshine calls him. He just showed up one day. Her associate, John, says he’s staying and don’t ask questions. Just who and what is Mr. Bad? And why is he there? She’s never seen his face as he keeps his office blacked out. Very mysterious.

And I don’t want to forget Detective Sean O’Neill. He has no clue about his ancestral bloodline or the beane sidhe. Things get interesting when he meets Aine and Sunshine. They keep bumping into each other as bodies continue to pile up. First, he views them as suspects, then as crazy ladies. A visitation from Aine in his bedroom only makes things crazier.

What do a witch, a banshee, a mouse, and a detective have in common? They’re all smack dab in the middle of a paranormal investigation and they’re foe is not of this world.

The opening of this story was such fun. I snuggled in with a cuppa tea and some snacks, knowing I wouldn’t be able to stop until I finished this book.

And once again, these authors kept me hostage as their characters came to life on the pages. Their writing is fast and fun, seems almost effortless how easily it flows. They are prolific writers and have numerous books and series. It may take years, but I’ll read every single one. ( )

Be My Banshee by Joyce and Jim Lavene

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I must be a witch. I live behind a purple door. Well, not in actuality but if I could it would be purple. What kind of magic would I be capable of? I would love to apply to The Purple Door Detective Agency. After all, they are hiring and the only requirement is to have magic. Since the salary is commensurate with experience I would gladly start out at the bottom and have my salary grow as my witching ability grows and strengthens.
Thus starts Be My Banshee by Joyce and Jim Lavene:
“The Purple Door Detective Agency is hiring.
Those without magic need not apply.
Salary commensurate with experience.
Apply at the agency on Brooke Street. No phone calls or psychic links.”

The young assistant is a shape shifter. The person applying for the job looks like a hag but she is really a beane sidhe, a banshee. (I didn’t have to look up what this is because the Lavenes give a clear explanation but according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary a banshee is a female spirit in Gaelic forklore whose appearance or wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die.} This particular banshee, Aine, is in town to locate the last of the O’Neil family that she has been with for too many years to count. She has turned to The Purple Door Detective Agency for assistance in finding this man. The main “dectective” with the agency, Sunshine Merryweather, a witch, has her own motives for working with Aine. While she wants to help Aine she needs Aine’s help in solving the murder Sunshine’s lover and previous assistant John
Behind all the comings and goings in the agency there is Mr. Bad. Sunshine’s partner who sits in a dark room with the one large window heavily draped in thick black cotton. Who is this mysterious man? We will learn certain things about him through his dealings not with Sunshine but with Aine. SPOILER ALERT: Aine knows him from the past.
Will and can Aine and Sunshine (and Jane, the shift shifter) work together to help Aine find and deal with the O’Neil heir and Sunshine solve John’s murder?
Be My Banshee is an urban fantasy and Joyce and Jim Lavene are national best-selling authors. This is Volume I in the series. Once you read it you will be eager, as I was, for Volume II. ( )

http://www.girllostinabook.com/2015/09/blog-tour-post-review-giveaway-be-my.html ( )

Both of us fell entirely in love with Be My Banshee by Joyce and Jim Lavene. It’s everything we didn’t know we wanted or were looking for in a book. After loads of mundane historical romances and cozy mysteries, this quirky paranormal title has revved us up and reignited our love and search for the wildly entertaining gems that must be found and shared out there in bookland. Read our full review at www.bubblebath-books.com ( )

BE MY BANSHEE is unlike anything I have ever read. This book isn’t just a para-cozy, it has a large paranormal aspect to it. It’s not a story I would normally read or review on my blog, but there was one major deciding factor in me choosing to read it…the authors, Joyce and Jim Lavene. These two brilliant writers turn everything they write into gold.

Well written and very creative, BE MY BANSHEE has an incredible plot. There was action and suspense from the beginning of page one, all the way to the fantastic conclusion. Once again the Lavenes have created a winning new series.

Even if this isn’t your normal reading material, with the Halloween season approaching add a copy of this fun mystery to your reading list. Can you think of a more perfect time of year to read a book about witches, banshees, shape shifters, and more?

If you’ve read books but this beyond talented writing team, then you know you have to get this book. If you haven’t read the writing of Joyce and Jim Lavene…what are you waiting for?! ( )