Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I absolutely love Syd Moore and the Essex Museum Mystery series since reading Strange Magic one Halloween. Rosie is a great character, and would also be great for YA readers as I think they will love her feisty character. The books takes you on many twists and turns, as all of Syd's books do, and keeps you hanging on in there until the end. Loved it!

‘Strange Tricks’ is my first Essex Witch Museum but I am intrigued to go back from the beginning of the series because Rosie Strange is a brilliant main character. Moore writes all of her characters with a brilliant wit and spooky charms.
One thing that enticed me into this series was the promise of a modern take on the supernatural genre which typically isn’t my go-to genre but I liked the way the story took creepy twists and turns within a realistic mystery of missing boys.
I did find quite a few tangents within the narrative which obviously helped to characterise Rosie but at the same time at times it did go slightly too off topic and became distracting from the main storyline. An interesting read that I think I may have enjoyed more if I had read the series from the beginning, although still reads as a strong standalone read.

Rosie Strange is the owner of a Witchcraft museum in Essex, along with her curator Sam they act as agents looking into various crimes . Rosie appears to have some psychic abilities which help in this field .
They are asked to look into a number of skinned cats in a nearby village , but get distracted by news of a missing boy. They are contacted by a medium who reveals the spirit of a young boy has come through with words like washing up man Yella and Jazz. It turns out Jazz is Jasper , Sam's brother who went missing after a car accident many years earlier .following this up leads to the discovery of many more boy's bodies located at a farm which the perpetrator of the crimes had been left . Don't think I would read others in this series as it didn't work for me.

In a world of samey thrillers, it's always a delight to read anything by Syd Moore. No one else combines crime, the occult, comedy and feminism the way she does. I don't want to give anything away but this book is about a serial killer that never leans on the usual cheap tropes. Compulsively readable, you're so busy being swept along by the story that you don't realise how profound and thought-provoking the book is until you've finished it - and then it will haunt you for days. You don't have to have read the previous Rosie Strange books to understand this but as a fan of the series I was thrilled with the references to past plotlines.

I'm grateful to Point Blank for an advance copy of Strange Tricks to consider for review. It was a real treat when I received it because I've developed a fondness for Rosie Strange (and for her creator, Syd Moore).

Rosie is the proprietor of the Essex Witch Museum, having inherited it form her uncle, Septimus. The Museum holds many mysteries, both about Essex and its supernatural - and not-so-supernatural - history, and about the Strange family itself - a rackety lineage with its own dark secrets.

While she'd like to focus on museum affairs - including those revolving around dreamy head curator (only curator), Sam, Rosie is frequently called away to investigate supernatural-tinged crime, often at the behest of Monty who works for MI-something-or -other.

It sounds as though it shouldn't work, but over four novels and several short stories, Moore has established an appealing setting and, in Rosie and Sam, a couple whose will-they, won't-they adventures - a frequent question which is generally usurped by episodes of mortal peril - keeps the reader guessing, and anticipating.

In Strange Tricks, Rosie faces a particularly dark investigation when she and Sam are asked to check out a medium. Sam - usually the Mulder to Rosie's Scully - is surprisingly hostile to her, and it turns out that her information may be hitting a little close to home for him - making enquiries particularly fraught and driving a wedge between him and Rosie. But what they're learning from Pearl suggests there may be a group of victims unknown to - or disregarded by - conventional law enforcement, and that lives may be in danger. Rosie and Sam have to cooperate to get to the bottom of this, which - even with the grim background - brought me as a reader unalloyed joy: they're never as much fun as when bickering.

At the same time, Rosie is following up new discoveries about her dead mother, working her way through a journal which has come to light. There's a narrative about a mysterious stranger, something at odds with what Rosie previously believed but which seems to me to echo developments in Rosie's own life... illustrated by specially drawn Tarot cards, these episodes from Celeste's life sustain Rosie in difficult and dark moments - of which Strange Tricks has many.

The story comes to a genuinely spooky climax, one that tests her endurance to its limits. I wasn't surprised in the end at the strength Rosie shows here - if you took her interior monologue at face value you might think her a bit superficial and likely to fold at the first broken nail, but readers of this series will show that Rosie has depths (perhaps even largely hidden from herself) and she finds unlikely resources to draw on here.

Strange Tricks also shows how Moore is able in these books to pivot from the comic to the creepy, all while highlighting truly relevant themes highlighting the plight of people who fall through the gaps in society (the always relevant original Essex witches themselves, the trafficked women featured in Strange Sight, or the victims here). It also points to wider developments in the story of Rosie's family - and a potential threat to her happy hopes of some attention from Sam.

Moore is on excellent form here, with Strange Tricks keeping this series humming along and himmtionmg at future developments. I can't wait for more.

Finally - look at that cover! I loved the previous covers, but this neon themed design, suggesting sleazy alleys and danger (and the importance of those Tarot cards) is I think really attractive and will certainly make the books stand out.

Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Fiction

Release Date: Expected 6th June 2021

(#5 in The Essex Witch Museum Series )

Rosie Strange has always lived up to her name - since taking over her families legacy at the Essex Witch Museum, her life has become a never ending series of oddities and mystery. And the Museum isn't the only legacy Rosie has come into - the strange apparitions and things that go bump in the night seem to be her normal as she struggles to understand a strange new gift that seems to growing.

And now, her Curator Sam Stone is slowly trying to peice together the mystery of what really happened to his missing brother and the other young boys who dissappeared seemingly without a trace. Never one to shy away from the dark, Rosie follows him on a journey into the unknown to try and find the truth.

Syd Moore has a magical, unique charm in everything she writes and the sixth installment of this series is no exception. You can definitely read this if you're not familiar with the other books - it's strong enough to stand up as a single story but I'd still recommend reading the entire thing to get a stronger picture of the whole Moore universe and get a better understanding of some of the mysteries that are being slowly peiced together as the stories weave together.

As an 'Essex Girl' myself, Rosie makes me look at my home in a totally new and interesting light and struck so many chords with me about the feminist nightmare that is the Essex stereotype.

Syd Moore has a way of always providing a classic mystery perfectly balanced with the supernatural and the spooky.

If you're looking for a gripping mysery with a spellbinding supernatural twist, fiery female leads and tonnes of charm - here's your next read.





RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Syd Moore, Oneworld Publications and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Somewhere in this book was an interesting story. I could feel the author’s intention, but the writing style was nowhere near strong enough to deliver.

The main character Rosie is irritating. While I appreciate her narration is in keeping with her character, it was extremely difficult to read. From half a page on the contents of her suitcase to three pages on toenail varnish there was an excessive amount of description. One sentence contained six ‘many’s which frankly is not needed. None of the lengthy soliloquies led to a major plot point, which is usually the reason for seemingly insignificant details being exaggerated.

Lurking beneath these adjectives was a vague, predictable plot line that could have been quite interesting - mystery amongst a witch museum - but wasn’t. The secondary plot of Rosie’s mother was told through diary entries from the 1980s... written in the style of the 1780s. It was confused, ridiculous and frustrating.

This book is apparently the sixth in a series, but prior knowledge wasn’t really required. Not that I’ll be reading these, or any subsequent books about the museum. Very disappointing.

Having read "Strange Magic", I was keen to read Syd Moore's "Strange Tricks" (in fact I have other books in the series at home and was planning to try and read them all before but will have to come back to the series). There are references to the first book (and others I presume) but that doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the story. Centering around .the day to day running of her Essex Witchcraft museum, these stories each have a supernatural crime or crimes to investigate. Starting with Pearl White and her visions, Rose and her entourage end up in the north of England and solve the crime of several missing boys. Looking forward to reading the next instalment (and will hopefully have caught up with the books in between by then).

Secretly Rosie Strange has always thought herself a little bit more interesting than most people – the legacy her family has bequeathed her is definitely so, she’s long believed. But then life takes a peculiar turn when the Strange legacy turns out not just to be the Essex Witch Museum, but perhaps some otherworldly gifts that Rosie finds difficult to fathom.

I found this story engrossing and entertaining. The story is well plotted and I was happy to catch up with the characters and follow them in this investigation. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

We’re back at the Essex Witch Museum where Rosie Strange and Sam Stone and debunking, demystifying and generally rationalising for all that they are worth. This time they are looking into a woman who claims to have visions when she experiences near death episodes and talks to “Spirit Boys”. Sam’s dad turns up and it all gets a bit personal.
Strange Tricks goes to some pretty dark places and it’s Rosie’s ebullient optimism that gets us though. What a trooper. Although why the hell did she go in the house?!! Rookie mistake!
All things considered, aside from inheriting a museum, she’s had a pretty shit year but she remains a glass half full type of person.
Her “tantalising” relationship with Sam moves onwards/parallel at a glacial pace and quite frankly Sam remains a bit shit. At this point his nice hair and hot bod aren’t enough he’s not nearly good enough for Rosie so I’m glad Dorcas turned up either to give Sam a kick up the arse or show Rosie a good time. She deserves a bit of fun so I hope he doesn’t turn out to a rotter...
There is also a development of the mystery into Celeste's death and identity of Rosie’s father. Who he? What he do? Where he go? And we’ve still got an attempted murder trial to attend to.

I found this story engrossing and entertaining.
It's well plotted and I was happy to catch up with the characters and follow them in this investigation.
The last part is quite fast paced and I was surprised.
I think it can be read as a stand alone as there's some backstory but I think you need to have read the rest of the series if you really want to enjoy it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When Rosie Strange and Sam, her curator at the witch museum she inherited a few books back, are tasked with investigating the claims of a medium, they're dragged into a mystery which turns out to be uncomfortable close to home for Sam, and uncomfortable in other ways for Rosie.

Strange Tricks is the fifth in the Essex Witch Museum series and makes for a fun and undemanding read.
There's a surprisingly minimal amount of supernatural activity in this one, which didn't at all end up where I thought it would after the opening scenes, and the ongoing saga of Rosie's parentage and family history is, well, ongoing, meaning it wouldn't work as a standalone.