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Kate Benedict #1
The Aura
BE AMONG THE FIRST TO DISCOVER A GREAT NEW AUTHOR!
"...a terrific book with a likable protagonist, skilled plotting and a supernatural spin. This gripping mystery had me hooked from the first chapter." -Janet Dawson, author of the Jeri Howard series
SHE KNOWS WHO'S GOING TO DIE! BUT NO ONE WILL BELIEVE HER...
Life spins out of control for London architect Kate Benedict when she sees a dancing aura above certain people’s heads that seems to signal death. Suddenly she’s psychic. But that can't be! Psychic’s not acceptable in her circle, where the supernatural is strictly for the superstitious. And yet…people are dying. People close to her.
Kate's tentative attempts to talk about her new-found metaphysical gift are met with eye rolls, so much so that she can’t even tell the nice Scotland Yard detective who's investigating the death of a close friend, Rebecca Williams. And now Rebecca’s neighbor has an aura.
So what's Kate to do but try to save him by turning detective herself? A break-in and attack on her boyfriend confirm that the murderer’s catching on that Kate knows too much. But he (or maybe she) has no idea that what Kate knows is a little on the paranormal side.
Fans of traditional British mysteries (and female sleuths) will love watching competent, reasonable Kate try to harness supernatural abilities she not only doesn't understand, she doesn't even believe in! And those who love international mysteries will particularly enjoy the vivid scenes in Italy, where the story begins and, in some ways, ends.
WHO ELSE WILL LIKE IT: Anyone looking for a new, fresh female sleuth, as well as fans of paranormal suspense, traditional (yet not too cozy) stories, contemporary British women detectives like the ones found on the BBC’s ROSEMARY AND THYME and MURDER IN SUBURBIA, and mysteries with a metaphysical twist, like Kay Hooper’s Bishop Files series, Iris Johansen’s THE PERFECT WITNESS, and Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters books.
"Carrie Bedford is a real find, and The Aura is engaging paranormal suspense ... Bedford is a fine writer, an accomplished novelist, and a terrific storyteller whose characters ring true and pull us deep into the mystery." -Shelley Singer, author of the Jake Samson-Rosie Vicente mystery series and Torch Song, first in the Blackjack near-future thriller series.
"...a terrific book with a likable protagonist, skilled plotting and a supernatural spin. This gripping mystery had me hooked from the first chapter." -Janet Dawson, author of the Jeri Howard series
SHE KNOWS WHO'S GOING TO DIE! BUT NO ONE WILL BELIEVE HER...
Life spins out of control for London architect Kate Benedict when she sees a dancing aura above certain people’s heads that seems to signal death. Suddenly she’s psychic. But that can't be! Psychic’s not acceptable in her circle, where the supernatural is strictly for the superstitious. And yet…people are dying. People close to her.
Kate's tentative attempts to talk about her new-found metaphysical gift are met with eye rolls, so much so that she can’t even tell the nice Scotland Yard detective who's investigating the death of a close friend, Rebecca Williams. And now Rebecca’s neighbor has an aura.
So what's Kate to do but try to save him by turning detective herself? A break-in and attack on her boyfriend confirm that the murderer’s catching on that Kate knows too much. But he (or maybe she) has no idea that what Kate knows is a little on the paranormal side.
Fans of traditional British mysteries (and female sleuths) will love watching competent, reasonable Kate try to harness supernatural abilities she not only doesn't understand, she doesn't even believe in! And those who love international mysteries will particularly enjoy the vivid scenes in Italy, where the story begins and, in some ways, ends.
WHO ELSE WILL LIKE IT: Anyone looking for a new, fresh female sleuth, as well as fans of paranormal suspense, traditional (yet not too cozy) stories, contemporary British women detectives like the ones found on the BBC’s ROSEMARY AND THYME and MURDER IN SUBURBIA, and mysteries with a metaphysical twist, like Kay Hooper’s Bishop Files series, Iris Johansen’s THE PERFECT WITNESS, and Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters books.
"Carrie Bedford is a real find, and The Aura is engaging paranormal suspense ... Bedford is a fine writer, an accomplished novelist, and a terrific storyteller whose characters ring true and pull us deep into the mystery." -Shelley Singer, author of the Jake Samson-Rosie Vicente mystery series and Torch Song, first in the Blackjack near-future thriller series.
248 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2014
918 people are currently reading
1043 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
July 2, 2015
DNF at 46%
I tried to give this book a fair shot because it sounded intriguing but the plot was way too slow paced for my style. It just seemed to drag on and I just couldn't get into it.
I tried to give this book a fair shot because it sounded intriguing but the plot was way too slow paced for my style. It just seemed to drag on and I just couldn't get into it.
September 21, 2015
This was not bad, nor was it great.
The story had a good premise, likeable characters but...I dunno. It dragged at times. And as always our heroin figures out what is going on with far too much detail and clarity. And far too fast.
I would like one of these books to have a situation where the lead character learns more with trial and error and not after the second death have the entire phenomena down pat...
WaAr
The story had a good premise, likeable characters but...I dunno. It dragged at times. And as always our heroin figures out what is going on with far too much detail and clarity. And far too fast.
I would like one of these books to have a situation where the lead character learns more with trial and error and not after the second death have the entire phenomena down pat...
WaAr
October 28, 2019
This was bad. I mean it was all over the place.
And terrible. The MC was unlikeable. The love interest was all over the place. I mean come on, the author hints of some sort of chemistry between MC and detective but almost as if she forgot about it and remembered afterwards, she makes him gay. Like, WTF. What?
The read was slow and pretty torturous. I mean, water boarding tortuous.
And come on, We established that she sees auras of the people who are going to die, and then, She see s that one on her nephew has the death aura and she decided to say nothing. He is late for dinner all we get is how she feels terrible and how her stomach is hurting for not saying anything. Dumbass. Maybe she was responsible for her brothers death because she was too stupid to realize that she saw him next to the pool one second and the next he was gone and then, hmm where did he go. Huh. Five minutes later, oh shit, he is in the pool. Not shit Sherlock.
And terrible. The MC was unlikeable. The love interest was all over the place. I mean come on, the author hints of some sort of chemistry between MC and detective but almost as if she forgot about it and remembered afterwards, she makes him gay. Like, WTF. What?
The read was slow and pretty torturous. I mean, water boarding tortuous.
And come on, We established that she sees auras of the people who are going to die, and then, She see s that one on her nephew has the death aura and she decided to say nothing. He is late for dinner all we get is how she feels terrible and how her stomach is hurting for not saying anything. Dumbass. Maybe she was responsible for her brothers death because she was too stupid to realize that she saw him next to the pool one second and the next he was gone and then, hmm where did he go. Huh. Five minutes later, oh shit, he is in the pool. Not shit Sherlock.
October 19, 2018
Bravo! A good fast read! now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
December 9, 2018
I thought this book was ok. It kind of dragged in the middle and I got kind of bored reading it.
April 28, 2021
cela aurait peut-être fait une bonne novella mais je n'en peux plus des descriptions de parcours (aller retour), de toilettes, de déjeuners etc sans véritable intérêt De plus, l'aura signalant une mort prochaine n'est pas un concept nouveau ... dsl j'aurais pu m'accrocher à 12 ans là je ne pense pas finir la série ...
removed
March 16, 2020NMG - unfair to rate it.
February 5, 2019
Surprises
This book was quite unusual. Sometimes the sadness kept me from reading for awhile. But then the mystery and the paranormal twist would draw me back in. Great mystery. BRAVO!
This book was quite unusual. Sometimes the sadness kept me from reading for awhile. But then the mystery and the paranormal twist would draw me back in. Great mystery. BRAVO!
May 23, 2018
The Aura, Kate Benedict paranormal mysteries, book #1
by Carrie Bedford
This is the first book in this 4-book series. I read the 4th book first, then decided I liked the characters well enough to skip back to the beginning. This first book picks up right after a traumatic event in Kate's life, which brings on her ability to see auras which predict death. It is the story of her struggle to understand what the aura's mean, whether anything can be done to prevent the predicted demise, and with whom to share the fact that she can see them (the answer to that last part seems to be literally everyone she meets).
There are several stories going on in this novel, first and foremost is the struggle listed above. Secondly seems to be Kate's feeling that she is somehow responsible for the well-being of those people who have the death auras, which include some people she does not know, some people she knows as friends and/or colleagues, and some family remembers. It is also the story of her growing relationship with Josh. And the mystery (besides why does she see the auras and what should she do about it) in the novel, involves a deception involving her firm's current project and biggest client, and the deception which leads to the death of an old college friend, that friend's downstairs neighbor, and attempts on the life of Kate and Josh.
The plotting and pacing are well done. The editing and proofing are very good, although I did find two errors and one questionable form of phrase. The errors were missing words in two sentences (author and/or publisher -- if you see, this, just message me and I'll give you the Kindle locations). The phrase in question was "pith and vinegar." Now, I've only heard it as "piss and vinegar," so I looked it up online. It seems that both are acceptable, but of the several articles regarding that phrase, it seems that "piss and vinegar" is the more used version. In fact a couple of the search descriptions labeled "pith and vinegar" started with something like this: "To say that people are “full of piss and vinegar” is to say..." (See: https://nortonsafe.search.ask.com/web...). I suppose the point is that by using the lesser accepted idiom, I was not only taken out of the story to think about it, but out of the story to the point of looking the idiom up. Shake my head.
However, I still enjoyed the novel. So much, in fact, that I'm on to the second in the series, "Double Blind.)
by Carrie Bedford
This is the first book in this 4-book series. I read the 4th book first, then decided I liked the characters well enough to skip back to the beginning. This first book picks up right after a traumatic event in Kate's life, which brings on her ability to see auras which predict death. It is the story of her struggle to understand what the aura's mean, whether anything can be done to prevent the predicted demise, and with whom to share the fact that she can see them (the answer to that last part seems to be literally everyone she meets).
There are several stories going on in this novel, first and foremost is the struggle listed above. Secondly seems to be Kate's feeling that she is somehow responsible for the well-being of those people who have the death auras, which include some people she does not know, some people she knows as friends and/or colleagues, and some family remembers. It is also the story of her growing relationship with Josh. And the mystery (besides why does she see the auras and what should she do about it) in the novel, involves a deception involving her firm's current project and biggest client, and the deception which leads to the death of an old college friend, that friend's downstairs neighbor, and attempts on the life of Kate and Josh.
The plotting and pacing are well done. The editing and proofing are very good, although I did find two errors and one questionable form of phrase. The errors were missing words in two sentences (author and/or publisher -- if you see, this, just message me and I'll give you the Kindle locations). The phrase in question was "pith and vinegar." Now, I've only heard it as "piss and vinegar," so I looked it up online. It seems that both are acceptable, but of the several articles regarding that phrase, it seems that "piss and vinegar" is the more used version. In fact a couple of the search descriptions labeled "pith and vinegar" started with something like this: "To say that people are “full of piss and vinegar” is to say..." (See: https://nortonsafe.search.ask.com/web...). I suppose the point is that by using the lesser accepted idiom, I was not only taken out of the story to think about it, but out of the story to the point of looking the idiom up. Shake my head.
However, I still enjoyed the novel. So much, in fact, that I'm on to the second in the series, "Double Blind.)
September 16, 2019
Not that good or that bad. The characterisation was a little flat and some of the issues were a little contrived. The story about Kates employer threatening her with the sack after serious incidents like a car accident and attempted murder were a bit overdone. The overall plot kept me interested, and the undertone when writing about the main villain was enough to give an indication that all was not right but did not tip the reader off altogether. The scenes with the nun were done in a way that I kept wondering if someone was going to say she had died centuries ago instead of in the later scene in the book. Three stars as at some time I might read one of the other stories in the series.
May 1, 2019
I have always been a fan of Mysteries. In the past few years, I have been reading more Paranormal and Urban Fantasy books, that have mysteries as their main plot. Carrie Bedford wowed me so much, I bought all the books in this series before I finished book one.
I have read several reviews that say it was slow, but that was character development. Kate Benedict has a gift, but that is the mystery at first, a personal mystery, she doesn't even Know there are other mysteries at all, just that her gift is an sign of other peoples approaching death. and slowly, by turns She becomes an amateur sleuth, my favorite kind!
On finishing this book, I started following Carrie Bedford, I hope Kate Benedict continues on from Book 4. I highly recommend this book and series.
I have read several reviews that say it was slow, but that was character development. Kate Benedict has a gift, but that is the mystery at first, a personal mystery, she doesn't even Know there are other mysteries at all, just that her gift is an sign of other peoples approaching death. and slowly, by turns She becomes an amateur sleuth, my favorite kind!
On finishing this book, I started following Carrie Bedford, I hope Kate Benedict continues on from Book 4. I highly recommend this book and series.
February 10, 2015
Not great, not bad. Concept was interesting - Kate acquired the ability to see an aura that determined if someone's life was in danger through illness or accident. The setting is primarily in London.
There's murder, a bit of tame romance, and dealing with guilt over past events.
The writing didn't flow quite as well as most contemporary fiction, but the story line was good. One thing I will mention - I didn't catch ANY misspelled or improper usage of words and the punctuation was correct. I get so tired of reading books where the author was too lazy to have the book proofread, and this was refreshing.
There's murder, a bit of tame romance, and dealing with guilt over past events.
The writing didn't flow quite as well as most contemporary fiction, but the story line was good. One thing I will mention - I didn't catch ANY misspelled or improper usage of words and the punctuation was correct. I get so tired of reading books where the author was too lazy to have the book proofread, and this was refreshing.
July 30, 2021
I started reading the book and thinking I was missing something but that's just how the book is written. She's a good character and doesn't really freak out much as to what is happening to her and the meaning of the auras she keeps seeing. Rather than be scared she starts to look for answers and a "logical" explanation or connection. Good start but sometimes the story is a bit slow
October 1, 2015
Loved it!!
I got caught up in Kate's world...kept me guessing until the end.Can't wait to read the second book.I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a little paranormal and a little mystery.
I got caught up in Kate's world...kept me guessing until the end.Can't wait to read the second book.I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a little paranormal and a little mystery.
November 30, 2015
Good story and like how she dealt with her new unwanted skill.
December 31, 2020
Carrie Bedford – Kate Benedict Bk 1 – The Aura – Reviewed 12/29/20 – Read 11/27/20
The beginning, seeing the Aura, a certain sign of death to come!
Kate benedict is not sure what is going on, she is seeing dancing auras above certain people’s heads and then they die. Does the aura mean death to those who have it, but no that would be supernatural and that is not something that she wants in her life! Who can she talk to? Everyone that she knows would think that is strictly for the superstitious, and yet another person dies, close to her, and they too had the aura. What can she do?
When she tells her boyfriend they both decide that no one would believe her anyway. When a close friend dies, she wants to tell the nice Scotland Yard detective that is working on the case. But when there is an attack on her boyfriend and her friend’s neighbor has an aura, Kate decides that she must do something to save everyone.
And the story begins…
What did I like? I received book 4 some time ago for a review and I have wanted to read the beginning of the series for quite some time. I finally have finished the first three and now I have read the whole series of six books. I certainly have enjoyed each one of them. They are funny, a little romantic, and a ton of action in each one. I think the characters are the best part. Kate is strong, yet a very vulnerable person that just can’t take the back seat while others are being hurt. Her relationship with her boyfriend is a gentle and romantic one, that keeps moving into the support mode for Kate as she battles death.
What will you like? Funny, lots of action, mystery, murder, romantic, and a little paranormal thrown in to keep you hopping! The characters are marvelous, with Kate being the lead one. She is strong with the support of her boyfriend helping her learn how to cope with her newfound abilities. The other characters are all wonderful and keep Kate on her toes. Even the bad guys have some unique characteristics. All in all, I think you will find this series a great addition to your library. Very enjoyable reads!!
• File Size: 4914 KB
• Print Length: 303 pages
• Publication Date: 9/7/2014
• Publisher: booksBnimble
• ASIN: B00MV3HQL0
• Genre: Psychic Suspense, Women’s Detective Fiction, Psychic Mysteries
The beginning, seeing the Aura, a certain sign of death to come!
Kate benedict is not sure what is going on, she is seeing dancing auras above certain people’s heads and then they die. Does the aura mean death to those who have it, but no that would be supernatural and that is not something that she wants in her life! Who can she talk to? Everyone that she knows would think that is strictly for the superstitious, and yet another person dies, close to her, and they too had the aura. What can she do?
When she tells her boyfriend they both decide that no one would believe her anyway. When a close friend dies, she wants to tell the nice Scotland Yard detective that is working on the case. But when there is an attack on her boyfriend and her friend’s neighbor has an aura, Kate decides that she must do something to save everyone.
And the story begins…
What did I like? I received book 4 some time ago for a review and I have wanted to read the beginning of the series for quite some time. I finally have finished the first three and now I have read the whole series of six books. I certainly have enjoyed each one of them. They are funny, a little romantic, and a ton of action in each one. I think the characters are the best part. Kate is strong, yet a very vulnerable person that just can’t take the back seat while others are being hurt. Her relationship with her boyfriend is a gentle and romantic one, that keeps moving into the support mode for Kate as she battles death.
What will you like? Funny, lots of action, mystery, murder, romantic, and a little paranormal thrown in to keep you hopping! The characters are marvelous, with Kate being the lead one. She is strong with the support of her boyfriend helping her learn how to cope with her newfound abilities. The other characters are all wonderful and keep Kate on her toes. Even the bad guys have some unique characteristics. All in all, I think you will find this series a great addition to your library. Very enjoyable reads!!
• File Size: 4914 KB
• Print Length: 303 pages
• Publication Date: 9/7/2014
• Publisher: booksBnimble
• ASIN: B00MV3HQL0
• Genre: Psychic Suspense, Women’s Detective Fiction, Psychic Mysteries
March 30, 2020
This book was slow at first. Kate on a trip to see her father in Italy, sees her dead mother, and is brushed, and hit by a car. This begins her seeing Aura' s at the top of some people's head. She soon realizes that this is a warning of impending death. Feeling like the grim reaper, she gets a CAT
Scan hoping the accident has caused some damage to her brain. Yet, nothing is found. Quite a few deaths happen that she tries to stop, including a child. Then a friend from college laughs off her warning, and is found murdered. I liked that the story takes place in London. I also like the person in charge of the investigation. I liked Josh, who was her boyfriend, and Leo , her brother. Accepting her gift, does not go easy for anyone.The story does speed up, and things begin happening quite quickly. The murderer is not an easy call,and the mystery was good enough to keep me reading. I actually like some paranormal in books, so that did not shake me, though at times I felt her frustration, at not being taken seriously. It was a good ending, and everything got tied up in the end. There was a little romance, but no sexual scene, or foul language. I gave it a 4 stars, because I was beginning to think if one more chapter is slow,then I'm putting this down. There was so much reflection into if she was loosing her mind, and what she could do when no one believed her, that I thought she should of had someone on her side much sooner. I'm used to my murder books being a bit more gripping from the first.
Scan hoping the accident has caused some damage to her brain. Yet, nothing is found. Quite a few deaths happen that she tries to stop, including a child. Then a friend from college laughs off her warning, and is found murdered. I liked that the story takes place in London. I also like the person in charge of the investigation. I liked Josh, who was her boyfriend, and Leo , her brother. Accepting her gift, does not go easy for anyone.The story does speed up, and things begin happening quite quickly. The murderer is not an easy call,and the mystery was good enough to keep me reading. I actually like some paranormal in books, so that did not shake me, though at times I felt her frustration, at not being taken seriously. It was a good ending, and everything got tied up in the end. There was a little romance, but no sexual scene, or foul language. I gave it a 4 stars, because I was beginning to think if one more chapter is slow,then I'm putting this down. There was so much reflection into if she was loosing her mind, and what she could do when no one believed her, that I thought she should of had someone on her side much sooner. I'm used to my murder books being a bit more gripping from the first.
May 23, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy mystery, featuring architect Kate Benedict, who discovers she has a gift that often seems to be more of a curse. She can see the aura of people who are about to die. Naturally, she doesn’t believe what she sees, or its implications. But the deaths of several people soon have her agonising about what she sees and whether she can intervene to save these people.
When she foresees the death of Rebecca Williams, Kate’s struggles become a need to find out who murdered her friend. From this point, the story becomes more of a traditional murder mystery.
At first, I was a little sceptical that the psychic side of Kate could be used as a skill or helpful aid as she solves murders. But it wasn’t used like that. If anything, Kate’s struggles to come to terms with the implications of her ‘gift’ and the responsibilities it seemed to place on her made fascinating reading.
With excellent characterisation, a gentle pace and enough twists in the plot as the investigation progressed, this was a great introduction to a series I look forward to enjoying.
When she foresees the death of Rebecca Williams, Kate’s struggles become a need to find out who murdered her friend. From this point, the story becomes more of a traditional murder mystery.
At first, I was a little sceptical that the psychic side of Kate could be used as a skill or helpful aid as she solves murders. But it wasn’t used like that. If anything, Kate’s struggles to come to terms with the implications of her ‘gift’ and the responsibilities it seemed to place on her made fascinating reading.
With excellent characterisation, a gentle pace and enough twists in the plot as the investigation progressed, this was a great introduction to a series I look forward to enjoying.
June 10, 2019
Finished it
Bit I didn't like it much. I took a few breaks in reading it. The plot was good, great story idea. But the characters were one dimensional. The story was reported rather than unfolding. Very amateur. Characters popped in and out of the story to explain and report some more, then had some huge event happen..then they were gone from story--it simply wasn't believable.
I didn't figure out whodunit because there were no clues. It was no big aha moment when killer is revealed, like "Yes! I should have sen that!" All in all , it was not a well written story, in my opinion, though it came highly recommended.
I did like the note at the end saying the publisher would pay for errors in spelling and typos. I'm glad someone in the business still cares about professional looking writing!
Bit I didn't like it much. I took a few breaks in reading it. The plot was good, great story idea. But the characters were one dimensional. The story was reported rather than unfolding. Very amateur. Characters popped in and out of the story to explain and report some more, then had some huge event happen..then they were gone from story--it simply wasn't believable.
I didn't figure out whodunit because there were no clues. It was no big aha moment when killer is revealed, like "Yes! I should have sen that!" All in all , it was not a well written story, in my opinion, though it came highly recommended.
I did like the note at the end saying the publisher would pay for errors in spelling and typos. I'm glad someone in the business still cares about professional looking writing!
April 27, 2022
I liked the idea of the story better than the execution. It wasn't bad, indeed some parts were good and I w curious to see where it all went. But there were other parts that dragged or didn't make seem to make sense. A lot of the story was spent on Kate's struggle to understand what was going on with the Aura's and then everyone disbelieving her which, while realistic really slowed the pace of the story. Then there was the police detective who was written like he was interested in Kate up to an awkward jealous seeming reaction when he visits her at home and finds her having a romantic dinner with Josh the volia he is gay. And her boss, threatening to fire her for not being present/putting in effort when she took 1-2 days off AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR. And no-one seemed to think that was unreasonable or worthy of a counter threat of legal action?
April 15, 2022
Missed the mark
I picked this book because of the story premise. It reminded me of the series by Colleen Helme, which was very good. While I really liked the idea of this book, I felt like it pushed the boundaries of believability. I had no problem with Kate seeing auras but her relationship with the police detective Charles seemed farfetched. Why was he so willing to discuss the details of the case with Kate when she was a potential suspect and he knew she was hiding something. It just seemed like the author was trying too hard to create relationships from brief encounters to show Kate's confusion with seeing auras and her commitment to save lives. I was a tad disappointed because I really wanted to love this series.
I picked this book because of the story premise. It reminded me of the series by Colleen Helme, which was very good. While I really liked the idea of this book, I felt like it pushed the boundaries of believability. I had no problem with Kate seeing auras but her relationship with the police detective Charles seemed farfetched. Why was he so willing to discuss the details of the case with Kate when she was a potential suspect and he knew she was hiding something. It just seemed like the author was trying too hard to create relationships from brief encounters to show Kate's confusion with seeing auras and her commitment to save lives. I was a tad disappointed because I really wanted to love this series.
December 27, 2018
I was not sure I would like this book when I started reading it. Well it did not take me too long to fall into Kate Benedicts's story. I can not even imagine the feeling of looking at someone and seeing a strange flicker of air over their head, and wondering what it was. But then to realize it had such a significent meaning for their lives. Kate Benedict has a gift but really does not want it. This story ended being quite interesting and although it was slow to grasp my interest I found myself wanting to know why this was happening to her and how she would handle the gift/curse. Can she do anything to help? Looking forward to next book in series.
March 12, 2020
Not on par with Kay Hooper
Slow start. It builds and builds, and the resolution is a few pages. We get a good amount of Kate's character through dialogue and history. We don't get anybody else, really. The romance occurred before the book starts. Seeing auras is the only paranormal in the book, and it's passive.
Sex: no (it happens, all we see are a few kisses)
Language: 5 F words, 21 Lord's name in vain, 5 S words
Violence: murder by pushing, car accident that kills pedestrian, drowning, subway murder, kidnapping, attempted murder
Cliffhanger: no
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Would I read more of the series: no
Slow start. It builds and builds, and the resolution is a few pages. We get a good amount of Kate's character through dialogue and history. We don't get anybody else, really. The romance occurred before the book starts. Seeing auras is the only paranormal in the book, and it's passive.
Sex: no (it happens, all we see are a few kisses)
Language: 5 F words, 21 Lord's name in vain, 5 S words
Violence: murder by pushing, car accident that kills pedestrian, drowning, subway murder, kidnapping, attempted murder
Cliffhanger: no
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Would I read more of the series: no
December 20, 2020
Story and plot was good but felt a bit contrived and wooden - bit matter of fact throughout. Gave it a 3 star rating because of that but what really put me off was the constant US spellings of English words when the character was in London and was British! This was a total let down and really annoying. But I gave the second book a go but the constant spelling of the Labour Party as Labor Party was too much - it is an actual name of an organisation so DON'T change how it is spelt. Really frustrating and won't be reading the others because of this. Poor decision by the editor and proof readers.
January 30, 2018
Kate is recovering from a hit and run that occurred while visiting her father in Tuscany. Left with a mild concussion and scrapped knees, she is now back to work at an architect firm in London where she starts to notice a strange aura/disturbance in the air over the heads of certain people. And then they start to die. Terrified and unable to share this new gift with others, she struggles to understand why this is happening. Good paranormal suspense/mystery. Drags a bit here and there but I would definitely read another with this character.
January 27, 2019
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Once again, I found a new author for me. Carrie Bedford kept me thoroughly entertained and turning pages to see what was taking place in this book. A bit of the paranormal in this one but that isn't a negative for me. I now have to read the others in the series to see where Kate, this books heroine will go from this point on. Great job to Carrie Bedford for her efforts and for allowing me the pleasure of visiting London and seeing things through her eves. What a privilege!
Once again, I found a new author for me. Carrie Bedford kept me thoroughly entertained and turning pages to see what was taking place in this book. A bit of the paranormal in this one but that isn't a negative for me. I now have to read the others in the series to see where Kate, this books heroine will go from this point on. Great job to Carrie Bedford for her efforts and for allowing me the pleasure of visiting London and seeing things through her eves. What a privilege!
March 10, 2021
This is book one in a bundle "Kate Benedict Cozy British Mysteries Vol 1-4" that Goodreads can't seem to find, but which exists on my Kindle. I guess I'll have to enter each volume separately.
The Aura
Kate discovers that she can see auras above people who are about to die. This happens after she sees and talks to her dead mother while visiting her father in Tuscany. Needless to say, very few people believe her, and it starts to affect her relationships with friends and family. She feels a responsibility to "save" the people whose auras she sees, which seemed a bit much to me - she really goes overboard, and ends up getting herself into all kinds of trouble.
The Aura
Kate discovers that she can see auras above people who are about to die. This happens after she sees and talks to her dead mother while visiting her father in Tuscany. Needless to say, very few people believe her, and it starts to affect her relationships with friends and family. She feels a responsibility to "save" the people whose auras she sees, which seemed a bit much to me - she really goes overboard, and ends up getting herself into all kinds of trouble.
May 18, 2022
I am not sure if this was the authors first book but it did read like a first book. The concept was intriguing with lot's of potential. That being said there were some areas that were just too slow and detailed about stuff that really didn't matter. Then how quickly she was able to figure out she could see that someone was going to die and that changes in the aura could kind of determine when. It seemed like there were steps missing in the journey. I will read more of the series hoping that the story telling gets more mature,
July 3, 2022
For a quick read this book was not had. I liked the fact I could read at work and be able to put the book down and pick up again later and not loose my train of thought. The main character Kate Benedict has an accident and then all of a sudden can see auras and her life is turned basically upside down. I gave this story a 3 star rating because the story was good but could have used some more development, especially with the buddy relationship with Josh. Hopefully there is some character building within the next story "Double Blind".
September 28, 2024
Better than average.
An intriguing concept and an interesting read. There are several things that happened that are absolutely not normal police procedure and would be frowned upon In any department I'm aware of. If that does not bother you and you can ignore certain minor inconsistencies the story progresses at a rather nice pace and arrives at an acceptable conclusion that you're unlikely to foresee much Before the ending. Well it is not deeply engrossing or absolutely brilliant it is enough That I enjoyed reading it and look forward to The next story.
An intriguing concept and an interesting read. There are several things that happened that are absolutely not normal police procedure and would be frowned upon In any department I'm aware of. If that does not bother you and you can ignore certain minor inconsistencies the story progresses at a rather nice pace and arrives at an acceptable conclusion that you're unlikely to foresee much Before the ending. Well it is not deeply engrossing or absolutely brilliant it is enough That I enjoyed reading it and look forward to The next story.
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