The Ballad of Mrs. Molony by C.S. Boyack #paranormal #bookreview

/ Staci Troilo

Ciao, amici! I read C.S. Boyack’s The Ballad of Mrs. Molony a while ago, and I haven’t taken the time to write the review. And I’m embarrassed about it. I’m a writer. I know how important those reviews are. I have no excuse other that I didn’t take those two minutes to do it. So, I just did. Posted to Amazon (if they’ll let me) as well as Goodreads and BookBub. And now I’m sharing my thoughts here, too, for those of you who have seen this in the blogosphere but are still on the fence about it. It’s a short read and this is the perfect season for this kind of story. And (spoiler alert) I loved it.

MY REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Clever New Twist on a Classic Old Trope

If the sun is down and you’re hearing noissssessss, it might be a vampire. One particular vampire—with crooked teeth and a speech impediment. It makes him quite impossible to miss.

And that’s precisely the point. Boyack’s done it again. He’s taken a classic trope—the vampire—and turned it on its head. Kevin isn’t your sexy, compelling blood-sucker. You won’t find him bare-chested on a book cover or sparkling in the sun. He is unique, though. And he’s the perfect catalyst for Lizzie and the hat’s latest adventure. Lizzie is on the cusp of trusting Kevin, teetering on the edge of pitying him after hearing his story. The hat? Totally doesn’t buy it. Doesn’t trust him and wants to put an end to Kevin and every other vampire in the area. Thinks he’s leading them into a trap.

Who’s right? It was so much fun finding out. As all hat adventures are. The banter is first-rate. The pace is tight and even accelerates breathlessly at the end. I love the way he’s worked the music into the story, and the Mrs. Molony twist was positively brilliant. This is a fast and fun read worth every one of the five stars I’ve given it. Highly recommended.

63 thoughts on “The Ballad of Mrs. Molony by C.S. Boyack #paranormal #bookreview”

  4. It’s so great to see ‘The Balad of Mrs. Molony’ garner yet another great review. I have it waiting patiently for me on my TBR list. I’m already a huge fan of Craig’s work, I am so looking forward to meeting ‘Kevin’. Bonus points he doesn’t look anything like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt.

    As for Amazon … grrr …I still can’t post reviews of books I’ve read and Book 2 of my memoir ‘Faint Echoes of Laughter’ went from 254 reviews down to 24 reviews without explanation. It’s been over three-months now and they still haven’t been re-instated. I’ve given up arguing with them. I haven’t really checked out BB as a platform, but I will be now. Thanks for sharing this with us, Staci.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • I wish people would switch to BookBub as the go-to. I love it. They seem to understand that (gasp) authors are readers and can actually write unbiased reviews.

      Amazon wiped out a lot of my reviews, too (though not that many; you must be devastated). I’m sorry. I wish I had an answer for you.

      When you finally get to Mrs. Molony, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. It’s a strong edition to Craig’s library of work.

      Thanks for visiting, Soooz.

      Liked by 2 people

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  8. Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:

    Let’s wrap up today with this wonderful review of The Ballad of Mrs. Molony. Staci is a friend, but she tells it like it is. She’s one of my Story Empire partners, and I really respect her opinions. Look around her blog while you’re there. She’s also a fantastic author and you might enjoy some of her stories. I did.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Totally agree, Staci! I’m reading Mrs. Molony now, and lovin’ it. If only the rain would stop. With the hubby inside instead of out, he’s cutting into my reading time. The nerve of some people…wanting to stay dry and warm. 😉

    Liked by 4 people

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  13. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Mrs. Molony, Staci! I too loved the banter between Lizzie and The Hat and it added a level of humor to the story. And wasn’t it a shock to discover who Mrs. Molony was? 🙂 Great work, Craig!

    Liked by 2 people

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  15. I cannot WAIT to read this one! It’s very close to the top of my TBR, and I’m eagerly looking forward to it.

    First of all, I’ve been reading vampire stories since I was a pre-teen, starting with Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I’ve always loved the various takes on them. But I admit, I’ve drifted away in recent years because too many of them were getting to be the same-old, same-old. But a vampire that LISPS?? Named, hahahahahaha, KEVEN? It’s a wonderfully original idea in Craig’s already wonderfully original series!

    Great review, Staci. SO looking forward to this one! 🙂 And congratulations, Craig! It sounds like you’ve earned every word of it to me. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • So far, Amazon has been kind enough to let me post my reviews of your work. Fingers crossed they continue to do so. But I’ll still always post here and on BB and GR. And you’re right; you’ll always have my opinion, for what it’s worth.

      Liked by 1 person

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  17. i’ve been hearing a lot more complaints about Amazon over the past few days – especially readers not being about to post reviews. I’m so excited to get to this book, but it’s still a few slots down in the TBR. Fab review, Staci!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • I just got an email from Amazon that it posted, so I guess the bots worked in my favor this time. Yay! It’s been harder and harder, though. I lost 25 reviews for one book overnight a couple of years back, and I still haven’t earned them all back.

      You’ll enjoy it when you get to it, Teri. 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

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    • My review fluctuate. The look good, then I lose something. The Hat has hit 50 reviews three different times, but seems to keep dropping below that bar. I’m just grateful to get them at all, and thrilled that Staci decided to share her thoughts here.

      Liked by 3 people

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  18. This is a great review. I really enjoyed Mrs. Molony, too, and Kevin is my favorite new addition in the hat universe.
    Congrats to Craig on another great review. I hope it surfaces on Amazon, but I’m also a huge fan of BB for reviews and finding books! Glad you were able to post there and to GR.

    Liked by 4 people

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  19. Amazon gets very persnickety. I thought it would get better once they invited me to their Vine Reviewer program but it hasn’t. 😔 I have totally loved the sound of this book ever time I’ve seen it and have it staring back on at me from my TBR ❤️

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • I’m convinced Amazon hates me. It’s a gamble whether they’ll let me post a review. It’s also a gamble whether they’ll let someone post a review of my work.

      Craig’s work is always a fun read. Any of his stories. The nice thing about his Hat series is they’re all stand-alones, so you really can jump in anywhere. If you try it out, I look forward to your thoughts.

      Liked by 3 people

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