So I started this book last year and out it down after the first chapter. I kept meaning to get back to it but forgot. I finally went back this weekend and wow. I was hooked. This is a three book series and I devoured the whole series this weekend. Bonus for those with Kindle Unlimited the series is available.

This had everything, a great cast of colourful characters, romance and a who dunnit that kept even me guessing. I loved the paranormal element, it is framed in such a way that it is completely believable that after a near death experience the heroine could actually now see ghosts, and it was just accepted by the other characters.

I also enjoyed the fact that this series features mature women. Julia is 51 and she is a perfect example of a woman who doesn't need kids to be fulfilled and its also never to late to find the perfect relationship.

I highly recommend this gripping read. The whole series is fantastic. Book 2 features Vivian who books an empath and Evy is book 3 and she is "gifted" telepathy.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a good book and had a very decent storyline, but it's definitely not what I was expecting. I am a huge fan of this author's Elemental books, this story was very different to me, but still overall good. I just didn't find myself drawn into it in the same way,. I very much enjoy the older ages of the characters though.

I just love pretty much whatever Elizabeth Hunter writes! This is the 1st book in a new series and I cannot wait to read more. Julia Brooks has had a serious medical scare and decides to move the seriously quirky town of Vista de Lirio in California with her ex husband and his new husband for a semi retired life. That all chages when she finds the body of a playboy and then she meets his ghost! The characters that she meets are hilarious and amazing, especially Paco.

Thank you to Valentine PR and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this delightful book.

“Double Vision” (Vista de Lireo #1) by Elizabeth Hunter. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Genre: Paranormal Romance/Cozy Mystery. Location: Vista de Lireo neighborhood in Palm Springs, California, USA. Time: Present

At age 51, successful, hard-working realtor Julia Brooks has a heart attack. Her doctor tells her to slow down. She moves from Los Angeles to her business partner/ex-husband’s guest house in the more laid-back Palm Springs. When she visits her first new house listing, she finds Justin there. He’s the much younger boy toy of a rich former soap opera actress. Unfortunately, when Julia finds him, he’s dead. That’s bad. And Justin’s ghost is standing over his body. That’s worse. Then ghost Marilyn (yes, That Marilyn) shows up a little later. That’s- well it’s quite a story.

This book features middle-aged main character Julia who is doing just fine without a permanent partner. Her chosen family includes her ex-husband and still business partner Dean, his insanely rich husband Sergio, Dean and Sergio’s 15 year old twin daughters, and a guard llama wearing a feather boa. Julia’s new best friends include Evy, a comedian and ventriloquist, and Vivian, a dentist. The book is full of eccentric characters, laughter, friendship, murder and mayhem-and a slow-building romance as well. Not to mention some totally endearing ghosts.

It’s a cozy mystery with the addition of ghosts and romance, and it’s just what a book of that description should be, so I’m giving it 4 ghostly stars. 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳.”

This paranormal murder mystery was light and easy to read, making me smile with its wacky characters that included a guard alpaca.

Strong, independent and successful realtor Julia Brooks, has recently moved to Palm Springs for health reasons. She’s soon immersed in a murder investigation where she finds herself with an advantage: she can see ghosts. Together with her new friends, they set out to figure out whodunit, but also find danger and a love interest for Julia.

Elizabeth Hunter is a new to me author and hopefully I’ll be in a better mindset with her next book. She’s a wonderful story teller and Double Vision certainly entertained while making me laugh. The reason for my rating was more a me problem, mainly because I was expecting more sexy romance than cozy mystery.

Double Vision is the first book in the Vista de Lirio series and my first Elizabeth Hunter novel. I enjoyed everything about this story. From the murder mystery plot to the quirky eccentric characters, this novel grabbed my interest from the start and did not let go. This is a paranormal woman's fiction which I have not read too many off but that will now change with how entertained I was with this story.
I loved that the characters were more middle aged although there were a couple younger ones. I loved how comical it was inspite of there being a murder to solve and I loved the bit of romance included in the story.
Julia was a fantastic characters and I loved that she was surrounded by a cast of endearing characters most especially two equally story women. I really loved the friendship she made with both Evy and Vivian as these three bonded over the magical powers they suddenly inherited.
This novel was filled with suspense, laughter, friendship, intrigue, great world-building and a hint of romance. It was such a fun read and I absolutely loved it. I would highly recommend this novel to lovers of paranormal women's fiction.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/04/19/double-vision-by-elizabeth-hunter/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

3.5 hearts

<strong>Double Vision</strong> is the first in a new  <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/336224-vista-de-lirio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Vista de Lirio</strong></em></a> series.  The setting is the California desert, similar to Palm Springs with its wealthy and celebrities, with pools and mansions.   The trilogy is paranormal women's fiction with some mystery and romance.

I have enjoyed her other two series which are similar in being set in California and with women who develop paranormal or physic abilities.  <em><strong>Glimmer Lake</strong></em> and <em><strong>Moonstone Cove</strong></em> were both excellent trilogies.

We are introduced to the three main women for the trilogy. Julia, Vivian and Evy seem to be in a bit of a wide age range.  Yet they all seem to have a very flexible schedule and some level of wealth and ease.  That sort of felt unrealistic to me.  Nothing in their lives felt that urgent or important.  Julia has an ideal relationship with her ex-husband and his husband, and their children.  She's living for free in their pool house, enjoying their household staff. She easily starts up a relationship with one of their friends.

Julia sees ghosts and the dead guy hangs around and talks to her.  She meets some of the other ghosts in the neighborhood and learns about more secrets and history.  She takes up the mystery to try to "get rid of" the ghost. There are enough possible suspects so she and her friends , utilizing their different skills, work to rule out suspects.  It's especially uncomfortable because they know some of them, and they are friends or at least acquaintances.  They gradually gather enough information that Julia believes she has solved it.  But the killer has noticed their efforts which puts them in danger.

This is was one of the funniest and cutest cozy mystery I have read in the longest time. I loved that the characters were a little older and then the friendship between Julia, Vivian and Evy was perfect. I need to finds some friends like them. The only thing I really didn't like was that I guessed the murdered after a few chapters. Other than that this is one will be in my top books of 2022. I can't wait to read more from this series and more from Elizabeth Hunter.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher read and review this lovely book. I will also like to think Charlotte Harris for reaching out to me about reading and reviewing this book.

A funny thing happened when I was reading this book. Apparently, this is the first book in a new series - or trilogy, I suppose - and while I was reading this I thought, "This sounds very, very similar to another series that I've already read." But then I couldn't remember who the author was. I remembered that there were three women who had been in an accident and then they all had certain ramifications that resulted from the accident, and I kept thinking, "This sounds SO familiar..."

So, funny thing. After I finished reading this book, I decided to try to find the series because it was bothering me and wouldn't you know....the series that I was trying to remember was a series from Ms. Hunter herself! (The Glimmer Lake Series and then Moonlight Cove)

Given the fact that I pretty much LOVE everything Elizabeth Hunter has written, I was thrilled to find out that the idea was already her own, she just expanded her radius to introduce us to a different trio of women and another crazy and zany storyline. And guess what, it was zany enough to make me smile and laugh while reading it. (Annoying ghosts apparently can do that)

This story revolves around a new trio of women, but where it really excels is in the fact that we get to meet a very eccentric cast of secondary characters who definitely do their part to make this a story filled with much more depth. I fell in love with Sergio and Dean, and who can forget to mention the dummy? (you just have to read it to get that one)

So yes, it seems as if we have another winner. Now I will patiently wait for the next book in the series. They solved the first crime, now lets see what is going to happen next.....

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

I'm so happy that Elizabeth Hunter has decided to write another PWF series. The Glimmer Lake and Moonstone Cove series were two of my favorites last year. After reading Double Vision, I'd say Vista de Lirio will be going on my favorites list this year!

The setting is Palm Springs, where Julia, a 51 YO successful real estate agent in LA, temporarily moves into the pool house of her business partner/ex-spouse, his current partner and their twin teenage daughters after she suffers a "cardiac event" and is advised to de-stress her life. However, when she walks into the kitchen of her first listing, she discovers not only a dead body whom she recognizes as Justin, the boy toy lover of an aging former actress who owns the house, but also that she can now see and talk to his ghost. This probably wasn't what her doctor meant when it was suggested she take a break and simplify her life.

Later, a failed attempt by a psychic to get rid of the ghost and her newfound powers ends up backfiring and unlocking latent powers in two other women who happen to be present at the attempt. Now all three women are dealing with paranormal powers, bonding as new friends, and trying to solve the mystery of who killed Justin.

Double Vision has a touch of old Hollywood glamour, a touch of the hippy dippy SoCal psychic scene, gorgeous descriptions, found family and friendships, smart, engaging, mature, lead and supporting characters, and is just all around fun to read. There was some mystery, some romance (in the form of a director friend of Julia's ex, who suffered a life threatening accident of his own and is also reassessing his life), and a wonderfully refreshing and accepting attitude of all of the characters toward the paranormal, in which it's just another element of their somewhat charmed lives. The next book will be out in a few months, focusing on one of Julia's new friends with newly acquired powers, and I can't wait to continue the Vista di Lirio adventure. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I don’t know that I’ve ever read this author before, but I’ve really been into the mid-life books probably because I’m there myself. I was drawn into this book immediately, and I really loved all the characters. Oddly enough, my least favorite character is Julia, but that isn’t saying much because I still really liked her, too; I just liked the other ones more. Besides that, this was a fun look at how the “other half” lives, the plot was intriguing, and I didn’t want to put this down. A well-written, mid-life paranormal mystery with great characters, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series which will have another MC. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

I’ve long been an Elizabeth Hunter fan. I’m absolutely besotted with the Elemental World series and a big Cambio Springs fan too.

While I didn’t love this new series quite as much, I did enjoy the book a great deal. In particular, I adore a slightly older protagonist and it’s great to see Hunter bringing her brand of romance to an older, but still kick ass heroine. Liked the setting, and the cozy murder mystery vibes.

That said I wasn’t overly obsessed with the actual mystery itself and was missing that desperate desire to know whodunnit. I also thought that the empath and thought reading powers were under-explored and used.

Still enjoyable and will definitely read the rest.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Double Vision is the start of a new series; one in which three strong women find themselves ‘blessed’ with supernatural powers, and it all begins with Julia who can see ghosts, which is fine until she sees one standing over his own dead body! Using her ability to see ghosts and with her new friends’ help Julia seeks to help the hapless ghost solve his murder.

A murder mystery with a soupçon of romance, and excellent writing. Sit down and prepare to read until finished.

Thank you to Recurve Press, LLC and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really liked this book. It is a great start to a new series! Julia Brooks moves to the deserts of California to work with her realtor ex-husband. She meets a lot of eccentric characters at a dinner given by her ex and his husband, and she becomes fast friends with several of the women. While showing a house, she discovers the body of one of the dinner guests. Then the mystery begins-who murdered him? What is even more baffling, he appears (in the form of a ghost) to Julia. I wasn't sure about all the ghosts in the story, but I grew to like them, and they became such an important part of the story. I highly recommend this book if you like paranormal mysteries, and I can't wait for the next book in this series!

I've been a lover of Elizabeth Hunter for a long time. Her writing style, story development and characters really just go beyond entertainment for me. I become incredibly invested in each book of hers I read.

I turn 40 in week and I've found myself reaching for books with middle aged characters more and more. Give me some gray hair, stretch marks, fine lines and pending retirements and some years under their belts and I'm game.

Anyhow I was immediately pulled into Double Vision within the first few pages. Julia is a fabulous character surrounded by other equally fabulous characters, Vivian and Evy rank right up there and while I'm getting ahead of myself, I cannot wait for their books.

So here we go we've got strong, intelligent women with new found... Power? Abilities? Call it what you want Julia takes being able to see ghost in stride and I love that. Actually there isn't a single person in the book that doesn't just shrug as if it's totally normal. The who-dun-it aspect is engaging and intriguing. And I admit I had a few suspects the entire time.

So we've got a cozy(ish) murder mystery, New abilities, a love interest and a phenomenonal cast of characters main and secondary. I'd totally read about Sergio and Dean.