An Unhappy Medium - Blog Tour Cozy Mystery Review + Giveaway

An Unhappy Medium: A Family Fortune Mystery by Dawn Eastman

Rating: Good
Source:  Blog Tour

Description:  Psychic Clyde Fortune and her zany family are back in the fourth in the national bestselling series from the author of A Fright to the Death.  Former cop and novice psychic Clyde Fortune finds herself in a race for justice when a Zombie Fun Run turns deadly...
All of Crystal Haven, Michigan, is psyching up to participate in a Zombie Fun Run organized by Clyde's nephew Seth, but Clyde is fretful about the undead festivities.  For one thing, her sister, Grace, has unexpectedly returned to town after fifteen years.  For another Clyde has the nagging feeling that something is about to go wrong...
When one of the zombie runners is found murdered and then Grace disappears, Clyde realizes her grim premonition is dead-on.  Now, she and her police detective boyfriend Mac must find a ghoulish murderer before someone points the finger at Grace.  And when a tangled web of family secrets and old grudges combines with a mysterious case of stolen diamonds, even someone as quick-witted as Clyde might not be able to outrun a killer. (from Goodreads)

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoyed the previous book in the series and then there's a murder at a Zombie Fun Run.  I couldn't pass it up!

My Impression:  While this is my 2nd book in the series it was my first visit to Crystal Haven ( the last book took place in another town) and I loved it!  Crystal Haven is definitely a fun and quirky little town filled with interesting characters.
Clyde is the kind of sleuth I love in a cozy.  She's smart and has common sense and when the common sense does abandon her as it does on occasion I can understand why.  Her background in law enforcement makes her interest in investigations make sense.  She has a strong connection with her family though they do occasionally drive her crazy (and for good reason!) and her relationship with police detective Mac is solid.  I like that they respect each other and that he listens to her theories instead of dismissing her.  In this book we meet Clyde's sister Grace with whom she has a complicated relationship.  There are real reasons for the strain between Grace and the rest of her family made even more complicated by Grace's actions and the fact that Grace's oldest son Seth now resides with Clyde and Mac.

The mystery takes a little while to actually get started though that doesn't mean the book itself is slow in the beginning.  There's a lot going on and it kept me interested and engaged.  I liked seeing the different opinions about the Zombie Fun Run, the prep work that went into it, and was wondering right along with Clyde just what Grace was up too.  When the body falls I was even more sucked in.  Normally I can guess the culprit pretty early on but I really had no idea in this one and was surprised at the reveal though it did make sense.  My one complaint is that there are a few side notes that I would've liked explained a little more but that's pretty minor.

This is a series I've had no trouble jumping into midway though I do plan on going back and reading the earlier books.  I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes - especially in regards to Clyde and Vi's new business venture.  There's a lot of potential for really interesting mysteries there!  I'm also really looking forward to seeing more of Seth and his abilities.  This is a really fun series with lots of humor without it getting too slapstick  but manages to keep the mystery front and center. The Fortune family is definitely a family I want to get to know better!

Giveaway: You can win your very own copy of this book and see what all the fun is about!  Just leave me the title of your favorite mystery along with an email address where I can contact you.  The giveaway closes on Tuesday, April 12 at 11:50 PM CST.  I'll notify the winner Wednesday morning.  US address only and no PO Boxes.  Good luck!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Definitely!  I'm looking forward to going back and reading the first 2 books and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Would I Recommend this Book?: If you like cozy mysteries be sure and pick up this series.  I think you'd love it!