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Joy of the Widow's Tears
A cursed necklace. Missing murder victims. An undead cult. Just another week for Constable Inspector Reva Lunaria.What should have been a simple murder investigation for Constable Inspector Reva Lunaria takes an unexpected turn when the two victims turn up missing. But solving the mystery of the missing corpses falls to Constable Inspector Pflamtael when Reva is suddenly suspended. As Reva tries to enjoy a forced vacation, Seeker Ansee Carya investigates reports of people who have gone missing. When Ansee discovers the missing people – including the two murder victims – have become zombies he knows Tenyl faces a deadly threat. Now Reva and Ansee must rely on the chaotic assistance of a halpbloed cleric to stop the zombies before Tenyl is overwhelmed by the undead plague.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2020
10 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Habiger
19 books36 followersGeoff Habiger was raised in the shadow of roaring lions and peacock calls in Manhattan...Kansas, not New York. (That's the Little Apple, not the Big Apple, for those of you playing along at home. And the wild animals came from living behind the city's zoo.) Growing up Geoff loved exploring the woods around his home, sneaking into the zoo (don't tell anybody), and playing baseball and Dungeons & Dragons. He and his best friend, Coy Kissee, would spend hours reading comics, playing all sorts of role-playing games, and talking about books and movies. Geoff stayed in Manhattan for college, getting a B.S. degree in Geology at Kansas State University (Go Cats!). He then attended gradual school in Bozeman, Montana where he didn't graduate, but did meet his future wife, so that worked out well.
In 2004 Geoff began two new (though very much part-time) careers in publishing, one as a senior partner in the independent book publishing company, Artemesia Publishing, and the other in a game publishing company, Tangent Games, started with Coy. Through Tangent Games Geoff and Coy have published dozens of role-playing books and a few card games. Geoff published his first book, the Dinosaur Learning Activity Book, a children's coloring and activity book about dinosaurs, through Artemesia Publishing in 2008. His first novels, Unremarkable and Wrath of the Fury Blade, co-written with Coy, were published in 2018.
Geoff currently resides in the wilds of the Monzano mountains, east of Albuquerque, with his wife, son, and two cats.
In 2004 Geoff began two new (though very much part-time) careers in publishing, one as a senior partner in the independent book publishing company, Artemesia Publishing, and the other in a game publishing company, Tangent Games, started with Coy. Through Tangent Games Geoff and Coy have published dozens of role-playing books and a few card games. Geoff published his first book, the Dinosaur Learning Activity Book, a children's coloring and activity book about dinosaurs, through Artemesia Publishing in 2008. His first novels, Unremarkable and Wrath of the Fury Blade, co-written with Coy, were published in 2018.
Geoff currently resides in the wilds of the Monzano mountains, east of Albuquerque, with his wife, son, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 15, 2020
Fantasy author team Geoff Habiger and Coy Kissee are back at it with Joy of the Widow’s Tears, the second book of their Constable Inspector Lunaria Adventure series. I greatly enjoyed the first book, Wrath of the Fury Blade, so I was eager and optimistic going into the sequel.
We return to the city of Tenyl where detective team Reva Lunaria and Ansee Carya continue to tackle their caseloads. They have a “strange bedfellow” dynamic, as established by the first adventure. Reva is brash and defiant while Ansee is stubborn and stoic. Habiger and Kissee play them against each other to great effect, often mining the union for tension and comedy. Some of the best parts of the series involve their respectful yet klutzy exchanges. In fact, the story opens with a hilarious scene about a cookie, which immediately refreshes the reader on their character personas.
Joy of the Widow’s Tears revolves around a mysterious magic necklace, which ultimately drives the plot. It harbors a noxious corruption that goads the wearer into doing unspeakable things. But alas, discussing those things would venture into spoiler territory, so I shall leave them to your imagination. Let’s just say that the resulting drama gave me some serious Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom vibes (with Reva being Indie in this case).
The story kicks off when Reva’s boyfriend arrives at port after a long absence. She is looking forward to some rekindled romance, but the rendezvous is cut short by the reveal of a double murder. What begins as a simple who-done-it quickly escalates into a necro-cult invasion with pain-pleasure zombies. (Yes, you read that right.) Reva’s abrupt approach gets her suspended and she is forced to work the case with Ansee from afar. Although, the setback morphs into a boon as she moves to infiltrate the cult.
The tale unfolds as a classic lone wolf investigation, where one partner works in the gray while the other tries to stay above board. The suspense is well-balanced, the pressure is palpable, and the action is very satisfying. In other words, it’s a great fantasy detective novel that keeps you guessing up to the very end. Joy of the Widow’s Tears is a strong sequel to an excellent first book. It was a pleasure to read and I can easily recommend it.
In closing, I have to give a shout out to Ember, Ansee’s pet fire salamander. Some of the funniest moments involve this little bugger, who reminded me a lot of Pascal (the infinitely lovable chameleon from Tangled). I think the authors should turn her into a plush toy.
We return to the city of Tenyl where detective team Reva Lunaria and Ansee Carya continue to tackle their caseloads. They have a “strange bedfellow” dynamic, as established by the first adventure. Reva is brash and defiant while Ansee is stubborn and stoic. Habiger and Kissee play them against each other to great effect, often mining the union for tension and comedy. Some of the best parts of the series involve their respectful yet klutzy exchanges. In fact, the story opens with a hilarious scene about a cookie, which immediately refreshes the reader on their character personas.
Joy of the Widow’s Tears revolves around a mysterious magic necklace, which ultimately drives the plot. It harbors a noxious corruption that goads the wearer into doing unspeakable things. But alas, discussing those things would venture into spoiler territory, so I shall leave them to your imagination. Let’s just say that the resulting drama gave me some serious Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom vibes (with Reva being Indie in this case).
The story kicks off when Reva’s boyfriend arrives at port after a long absence. She is looking forward to some rekindled romance, but the rendezvous is cut short by the reveal of a double murder. What begins as a simple who-done-it quickly escalates into a necro-cult invasion with pain-pleasure zombies. (Yes, you read that right.) Reva’s abrupt approach gets her suspended and she is forced to work the case with Ansee from afar. Although, the setback morphs into a boon as she moves to infiltrate the cult.
The tale unfolds as a classic lone wolf investigation, where one partner works in the gray while the other tries to stay above board. The suspense is well-balanced, the pressure is palpable, and the action is very satisfying. In other words, it’s a great fantasy detective novel that keeps you guessing up to the very end. Joy of the Widow’s Tears is a strong sequel to an excellent first book. It was a pleasure to read and I can easily recommend it.
In closing, I have to give a shout out to Ember, Ansee’s pet fire salamander. Some of the funniest moments involve this little bugger, who reminded me a lot of Pascal (the infinitely lovable chameleon from Tangled). I think the authors should turn her into a plush toy.
January 17, 2023
Fun read! Not only does Reva have to solve a murder, she has to go toe-to-toe with undead, a religious zealot, and her own stubbornness. The second installment in this series has fully-realized characters and worldbuilding. It's an immersive read and a fun adventure!
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August 31, 2022Zombies, detective work, and snarky banter combine into madcap adventure in this enthralling sequel to Wrath of the Fury Blade. Main characters Reva and Ansee are back and in fine form, a delightful duo that I loved reading about.
Poor Reva will never have a chance to relax. Her boyfriend is back in town, but instead of rekindling their romance, she finds herself in the middle of yet another crime that is much more than some simple detective work and a case quickly closed. Oh–except she ends up being told in no uncertain terms that she isn’t allowed to be in the middle of things (being suspended kind of lends itself to that interpretation).
This suspension leads to Ansee doing the case solo. Sort of. There may be some slight infiltration of…mum’s the word. You wouldn’t really expect Reva to sit this one out, would you? This two-prong attack works fantastically for the plot, although I’ll leave it to you to decide how well it works for Reva and Ansee.
The world was well developed in book one, so the reader is able to go right into the book knowing the “rules” of the setting. While the world continues to be fantastic, the characters shone in Joy of the Widow’s Tears. Ansee is great, but Reva continues to be my favorite. She’s intelligent and more than a little headstrong. She and Ansee are polar opposites in many ways, and it works.
The book is fast-paced and full of suspense and fun. The series started out strongly and continues in that vein. I highly recommend both Wrath of the Fury Blade and Joy of the Widow’s Tears.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
Poor Reva will never have a chance to relax. Her boyfriend is back in town, but instead of rekindling their romance, she finds herself in the middle of yet another crime that is much more than some simple detective work and a case quickly closed. Oh–except she ends up being told in no uncertain terms that she isn’t allowed to be in the middle of things (being suspended kind of lends itself to that interpretation).
This suspension leads to Ansee doing the case solo. Sort of. There may be some slight infiltration of…mum’s the word. You wouldn’t really expect Reva to sit this one out, would you? This two-prong attack works fantastically for the plot, although I’ll leave it to you to decide how well it works for Reva and Ansee.
The world was well developed in book one, so the reader is able to go right into the book knowing the “rules” of the setting. While the world continues to be fantastic, the characters shone in Joy of the Widow’s Tears. Ansee is great, but Reva continues to be my favorite. She’s intelligent and more than a little headstrong. She and Ansee are polar opposites in many ways, and it works.
The book is fast-paced and full of suspense and fun. The series started out strongly and continues in that vein. I highly recommend both Wrath of the Fury Blade and Joy of the Widow’s Tears.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews