Lipstick Voodoo: The Kincaid Strange Series, Book Two

Set in a Seattle that is filled with zombies, ghouls, poltergeists and ghosts, my introduction to this urban fantasy series was a dive in the deep end, intriguing with a dash of information added to try and keep me current. Kincaid Strange seems to fit into this world fairly easily, being a voodoo practitioner with a part-time gig assisting the police. Interesting enough to keep me intrigued, curious about the Seattle setting rather than New Orleans, but hey, it’s the author’s world to create – I’m only meant to enjoy the ride and the quirks presented. Kincaid is an intriguing sort – a bit offbeat and quirky with a best ‘ghost’ friend, and she’s not always happy with ‘humans’ around her. Not quite socially awkward, but gaffes enough to keep her at the fringes of that label, I found her intriguing enough to want to know how she worked and what she was capable of. In this book, she’s forced to find other ways to pay the bills as Captain Marks (he who signs off on her being paid) isn’t inclined to have her consult any more, but she’s also got worries for her bestie, Nate – and find a way to release him from a body that is rotting around him, and al keys seem to lead to Gideon, a sorcerer who may or may not be inclined to help, but at a price. When Kincaid’s ex comes to her with a cold case that is tied tangentially to Nate, and involves a former band-mate caught up in a group of cold cases from the mid-90’s. OK – so we’ve got two different mysteries to solve, a friend to help, a former boss who may or may not be interested in what she has to say and the ‘underground’ that may hold the keys to put it all together. I’d have to say that I found this story intriguing and a bit different from the norm, if not quite falling into my “I have to know more, now” pile. Charish managed to keep my interest, give me some background information to keep me current, and have me wondering just what Kincaid is planning for the long-term and her plans to keep Seattle as her home. All indicators point to a third in the series, one that I’m sure to look out for after I catch all up with the first book from the series. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.