Stage Fright

Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Dakota Cassidy

Narrated by: Traci Odom

Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

If you want to know who unalived you, I'm your girl. Evanora Lavinia Dark at your service! Heart attack/stroke/open-heart surgery survivor, new-lease-on-life starter, astral-projecting-ghost-talker. And most importantly, a witch over fifty with bursitis, blood pressure meds, and zero effs to give.

I'm done with corporate life after a life-changing stroke followed by a heart attack and a subsequent quadruple bypass. Clearly, it was time for a change.

So I moved back to my hometown and my passion. Interior design. Nowadays, you can find me happily decorating houses for my best friend, house flipper, and real estate agent, Fabiola Fabrizio.

There's only one problem. Ghosts. Sooo many ghosts. Ghosts I started to see after my bypass surgery (cliche, right?).

When a guy named Ferris Leopold is found dead at the house next door to the one I'm staging, it's full steam ahead to solve his murder. Or is it? Ferris was a lowdown dirty, albeit petty thief in life and I'm struggling to set aside my morals in order to help him.

But as I dig deeper into Ferris's past, meet a hot-AF silver-fox of a man, and explore my new powers in the process, I discover not everything is as it seems . . .

©2022 Dakota Cassidy (P)2023 Tantor

Slow start

I generally love Dakota Cassidy’s books. This series starts off slower than most, with drawn out character development and lots of holes initially. I don’t remember any of her other book series having that difficulty. I’m glad I stuck through the first book, it got better with the second one. I still feel like the main character’s back story is underdeveloped, but the glaring gaps are decreasing. The concept of the book isn’t a new one, so I’m hoping the next books add some depth.

Great book

This was a great book. Love the narrator. Can’t wait for the next one in this series.

Great feel-good read

Dakota Cassidy is one of my go-to authors for when I need a break from the heavy emotional authors, or when I just need a laugh in my life. I know that I can count on her, so I didn’t hesitate to buy this book even though it’s got a FMC that’s just a smidge older than myself, which is unusual these days. I must say that I appreciate that I could relate so much with the FMC. Dakota did her thing and connected me to all the characters and while I was sad when some parts played out (no spoilers here) they were so well managed that I wasn’t traumatised over it. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Stage Fright

It took me a while to get into this first in a series book but once I did, I had to finish it. I will definitely get Book 2.

A Wonderful New Series

Wonderful characters, LOL moments, and a great storyline, it doesn't get much better than that!
Traci Odom is one of the best narrators! Worth your time and money!

Great story

I liked the spin on this new series of books. I love that the main character is in her 50s. Evan solves crimes by talking to dead people. What is there not to love.

Sound quality was poor, story was good

I stopped listening a few chapters in to this book because the sound continued to fluctuate - it’s too bad, but with the sound quality it kept pulling me out of the story.

Cute story

Cute and attention holding, wasn’t sure what to expect but it was a great listen.

Really enjoyed this start to the series

Will definitely listen to the next one - story is original enough to be engaging- the cozy mystery is a difficult category to do that with! I didn’t even guess the villain before the reveal - which is usually something I can do. Likable characters!

I was quite entertained.

I'm actually writing this review several months after listening to it, but I wanted to note that I enjoyed the story, and the narration, and will likely listen to this again in a few more months. The characters were entertaining and the story was interesting. And Ms. Odom's narration was a very pleasant listen.