Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  The Sceptic

SERIES:  Arcana

AUTHOR:  Lily Morton

NARRATOR:  Joel Leslie

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  11 hours and 18 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  February 13, 2023

BLURB:

As the best friend of a psychic, Will Buchanan can’t help but believe in the dead. It’s the living that he finds to be problematic. However, after a spate of betrayals, he finally has the chance of a new life within his grasp, and he’s not going to risk it for anyone or anything. Staying safe is the name of Will’s game.

Jem Dawson defines the word temporary. A talented cameraman, he’s here today and will undoubtedly be gone tomorrow chasing adventure and danger. But, while he’s in York, he’s made it clear he wants Will, and Will can’t help liking the charming daredevil.

This inconvenient attraction results in Will accompanying Jem to the site of a notorious poltergeist outbreak. A malevolent spirit has targeted a family, and now the ghost hunting team for whom Jem does camerawork are going to be locked down in the house for three days.

The house is strange and filled with sinister and violent undercurrents. One by one, the group experiences threatening incidents, and as events escalate, Will has to ask himself if he’s risking not just his heart but also his life with this impulsive gesture.

This is the first book in the Arcana Books series featuring characters from the best-selling Black and Blue series.

REVIEW:

I don’t want to spoil this story because it has a lot of scary elements and surprises that I think are worth discovering on your own.  Jem convinces Will to accompany him on a trip to try to capture a spirit/poltergeist at a home where a family has experienced multiple incidents.  Jem’s friend Ben and Ben’s best friend Liam as well as to gal pals are set up to be in “lockdown” with whatever is going on in this house.  The parents and three children vacate the premises for the duration.  Strange things start happening literally as soon as they arrive with Will seeing something unusual.  The presence in the house makes itself known almost immediately.  Things move around.  Nightmares ensue.  And as the days pass, the spirit or poltergeist or whatever it is seems to bet more violent and dangerous.  Everyone is worried and scared and the attacks become more personal.  The big guns need to be called in and there is much more at play here than anyone realized – and the consequences are quite dangerous!

Well this series surely starts off with a bang 🙂  I wasn’t sure what to expect with our stalwart Will as the focus of the story, but he more than fulfills the role of main character here.  Blue and Levi from the Black and Blue series do not have a lot of page time in this one, but they are the impetus behind Will and Jem even knowing each other since Will has been Blue’s best mate and protector for some time and Levi and Jem have been best friends for a long time also.  Jem has fancied Will for a while, but Will seems somewhat resistant and as the story goes along, we eventually discover the whys and wherefores of this reluctance.  Obviously since Will and Blue have been homeless in the past, there is a story there and it’s a painful one.  For Will, his instability in his living situation has gone on for a long time and for different reasons than Blue’s but no less traumatic and in some ways even more damaging.  Jem realizes he has to tread lightly with Will in order to prove to him that he is worthy.  I absolutely loved their journey to finding a happy ending that is maybe a little unconventional, but well worth it.

As one expects, Joel Leslie does his usual fantastic job of performing this book.  Whether it’s a tender moment between new lovers or visceral fear from a ghostly attack in the middle of the night, this narrator give every moment and scene the right emotional tone and voice pitch.  I will full admit that when listening, it got to be bedtime and things were getting scary and I just had to stop so that I could be sure I would be able to actually sleep 😉  Mr. Leslie does a wonderful job of delivering the humor and snark that is a Lily Morton hallmark, but he never shirks his duty to scare us or make us feel for the characters – whether it’s an angry teenager, a malevolent spirit, a flirtatious ghost-hunter who is scared silly or parents trying to do the right thing for their kids.  Every character is imbued with a believable voice and motivation.  I never ever get tired of listening to this dream team of Lily Morton and Joel Leslie.  Highly recommended and I really can’t wait to see where this series goes next.  Jem and Will are clearly another winning couple that fans will want to follow wherever life takes them.

RATING: 

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