REVIEW: Dead is Just a Rumor by Marlene Perez

As the creepy little town of Nightshade prepares to celebrate its 200th anniversary—on Halloween, of course—many of its paranormal residents are receiving mysterious blackmail letters. Psychic teen Daisy Giordano and her sisters set out to find out who is behind the threats. But launching an investigation isn’t easy for Daisy with her overprotective father watching her every move. Though she’s is happy to have him back after the years he spent being held captive by an anti-paranormal group called the Scourge, Dad is having difficult time adjusting to home life—and the fact that his little girl is now a senior in high school. He even disapproves of Daisy’s boyfriend, Ryan. Can their relationship take the strain?

And Daisy’s got even more on her plate: A talented amateur chef, she has won cooking lessons with celebrity chef Circe Silvertongue. After nosing around (with a little help from Circe’s pet pig), Daisy begins to suspect the temperamental chef’s secrets aren’t only in her ingredients. . . .

The fourth installment in this favorite series is full of surprises and scares!

MARLENE PEREZ is the author of Dead Is the New Black, Dead Is a State of Mind, Dead Is So Last Year, Love in the Corner Pocket, and Unexpected Development, an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. She lives in Orange County, California.  www.marleneperez.com

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Graphia; 1 edition (August 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780547345925
• ISBN-13: 978-0547345925

SOURCE:  PURCHASED

MY THOUGHTS

LOVED IT

I have been recommending this series since I first discovered it and the latest installment is a wonderful addition.  I just don’t know why it took me so long to read it.  It was the first book I bought for my new e reader.  Each book has Daisy solving a crime with her psychic powers, although her powers didn’t really evolve until the second book in the series, Dead is a State of Mind.  You can easily read this one without having read any of them, but I think it adds to them by reading them in order.  

Daisy is the youngest of the Giordano sisters and each are paranormally gifted.  Daisy’s psychic and kinetic abilities are just now really beginning to develop and she makes full use of her limited powers in solving a blackmail mystery that has visited the town of Nightshade, CA.  Daisy’s father has recently returned to the family after being held by the Scourge, an anti-paranormal group.  Her father is still recovering from the effects of his capture and he reacts to Daisy as if she is still twelve, her age when he disappeared.  He disapproves of her were boyfriend, Ryan, who is also the chief of police’s son.  

Daisy wins cooking lessons with a famous television chef, Circe, who adds more than just ingredients to her famous food.  Part of the story deals with the famous Jukebox, Lil,  at Slim’s Diner which plays songs to communicate with Daisy which leads to what will happen in the next installment, Dead is Not an Option, or at least I hope!  Daisy helps unravel the blackmail mystery and maintains her loving relationship with her parents.  There is only some kissing and nothing else much to worry parents.  I highly recommend this to everyone since it is such an enjoyable series that will appeal to even the pickiest of readers.