Popcorn and Poltergeists

Vampire Knitting Club, Book 9

By: Nancy Warren

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

Is there a murderous poltergeist on the loose?

When an Oxford caretaker is killed by a fall down the library stairs and a professor is attacked, rumors fly that it's the work of a poltergeist who's been causing havoc at the college.

The prof is a knitter, and a customer at Lucy Swift's shop, Cardinal Woolsey's. But Lucy thinks a very human killer is shifting the blame onto a ghost who can't defend itself, and she's determined to trap the real killer and get justice for the dead man.

However, danger lurks at the college where old secrets and new crimes collide. Vampire and old book expert Rafe Crosyer has been called in to value the college's literary collection, and he witnesses firsthand how angry the ghost really is.

Furious enough to kill? Or is there something else the tantrum-throwing spirit is trying to tell them?

And will they decipher the message before it's too late?

©2020 Nancy Warren (P)2021 Tantor

Top Shelf Paranormal Cozy

This series continues to surprise me with the quality of the stories and depth of character development as well as world building. I listen to lots of supernatural cozy books and many are what I think of as 'candy cozies' easy, fun, but not much to them but still nice and entertaining. These books feel like a full course meal in a light lunch time. The stories and narration are incredibly engaging I feel really rooted in the world and with the characters, excited to see them develop, grow, and evolve as individuals as well as a collective. There seem to be more hints in this volume that things with Lucy's grandmother will need to change (though this is far from the main storyline). There is some fun development with William (Rafe's butler) and the Vampire Knitting Clubs teenager also gets a little more time in the story as well as some new folks that I am very excited to see developed further. I also enjoy the complicated relationship between Lucy and Rafe and how this volume in particular I felt displayed some other less romanticized sides of a centuries old wealthy vampire that is accustomed to being in control and being the leader. I will also say when reading cozy supernatural mysteries we must assume a suspension of belief. I often find myself bemoaning flimsy reasons for protagonists being involved in intimate aspects of cases and constantly endangering themselves and starting drama, but then I remember this is not a police procedural and the characters are talking to ghosts. We are clearly in the realm of unrealistic narrative and I remember that is exactly why I am here. Often in these stories the protagonist is never my favorite character but honestly Lucy is far from the most annoying cozy protagonist I have come across. Sarah spoils me with the fantastic narration of the different characters that now pulls me back into this world as soon as I hear her voice. I am looking forward to the next volume and I will soon try branching out into Nancy's other series 'Vampire Book Club' and 'The Great Witches Baking Show'.

Poltergeists can have a strong sense of purpose.

I love hearing about Lucy, Rafe and the other characters. The knitting, camaraderie and sleuthing are all wonderful aspects and depth.
I’m anxious for the next book in series.

5 stars

Popcorn and Polter6 is a fun paranormal cozy mystery with engaging characters and an entertaining plot. I look forward to the next book in this series.

ANOTHER WINNER

THANK YOU, NANCY WARREN, FOR ANOTHER ENJOYABLE READ. LUCY, RAFE, AND ALL THE OTHER WONDERFUL CHARACTERS JUST GET BETTER WITH EVERY OUTING. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THEIR NEXT ADVENTURE.