Genre: Fantasy, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
The Carnival of Mysteries just arrived in Sutton County. They say if you cross the fortune teller’s palm with silver she can read your future like a map. Right now all Ledger Conroy wants to know is if he has a future.
Back in Sutton after over a decade, Ledger’s plan had been to bury his father–recently deceased convicted serial killer and less-well known warlock, Bell Conroy–clear the property, and then finally wash his hands of being a Conroy. Instead there’s a cured human heart in the larder, a pissed off pretty boy who is definitely not human at the door, and a debt to the devil that Ledger’s just inherited.
Devil. Monster. Something like that. He’d not asked for its pedigree
Whatever it was, it’s given Ledger a week to fulfill the terms of his father’s contract. Or else he’s never going to leave Sutton again. With pretty-boy Wren at his heels, more to make sure Ledger doesn’t skip town than to provide assistance, Ledger tries to track his father’s sins across Sutton. The problem is there’s so many of them.
Ledger is faced with old grudges, a Sheriff that thinks Ledger knows more about his father’s crimes than he’s ever said (and isn’t wrong), and a dead man with a book shop. Not to mention the on-going distraction of Wren, who can’t decide whether to be a hindrance, a help, or just hot.
Luckily Ledger has a nose for this sort of work.
Sting in the Tail is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a dealer in dark collectibles, a man who’s NOT people, and a monster with a debt it expects to be paid.
The Review
Bell Conroy was serving time in prison for murder. After being diagnosed with cancer, he was released early, and is now dead by his own hand. Because of his death, his son Ledger has returned to a hateful Sutton County, Ohio after a fifteen year absence. He’s inherited the run-down house he knew as a child.
Ledger moved far away from Sutton County, and has been living a good life in Ithaca, New York. He has his own business, Dandy Lion Collectibles, dealing in cursed letters, old murder weapons, and curiosities.
Troubles abound when Ledger arrives. Benjy Hark is waiting outside the house and claiming he’s already made a trade with the owner. Not so, since Ledger didn’t make the deal. Hark gets Ledger caught up in a bad trade, and now scarecrow Earl holds all the cards.
Earl wants to die, but he can’t find what he’s looking for. It’s up to Ledger to put all the puzzle pieces together, or he faces certain death.
When Ledger was a young boy, he told Sheriff Syder what he saw, and was sent to a mental facility. But now the Sheriff wants something from him too, and there’s also the mystery of the old deed and the books that Ledger returns to the Unnaturals Cryptids book shop.
And what about the tempting Wren Bones, who shows up at the house? Ledger tries to be cautious. After all, he knows nothing about this Wren or who or what he is, but theres an instant attraction.
Time is running out for Ledger as the Equinox approaches. At the Carnival of Mysteries, will tarot cards tell him of his fate?
Moore adds a horror-filled, dark fantasy tale to the Carnival of Mysteries universe. Sting in the Tail doesn’t shy away from the grit and gore of a chilling, intense, eerie story. As always, Moore’s characters are flawed and have rough edges, which makes them fascinating, and the connection between Ledger and Wren filled with snarky banter and a steamy romance. Scarily entertaining and worth the read!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
