ARC Review: Shadows in the Mist (Booke of the Hidden #3) by Jeri Westerson

Small town tea shop proprietor Kylie Strange already has a lot on her plate. The last thing she needs is more trouble to spring up from the mystical Booke of the Hidden.

Keeping one step ahead of a scheming demon, supernatural assassins, and Baphomet—an angry god hellbent on stealing the Booke—it’s all more than enough for one person to handle. And that’s without mentioning her competing affections for the demon Erasmus Dark and the handsome, human Sheriff Ed.

But soon enough, Kylie and her coven hear whispers of new disturbances in Moody Bog. Strange creatures have been stalking the townsfolk and rumors of violent encounters confirm their deadly intent. Worst of all, the Booke of the Hidden is not to blame, and no one is sure what is.

Kylie and her coven of Wiccans need to prioritize. Which is worse? The mysterious and lethal creatures or Baphomet, who—if he gets his way—will unleash Hell upon Moody Bog...and beyond.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't affect my opinion of the book or influence the content of my review.

What did I like about Shadows in the Mist?

This series has turned me into a fan of Jeri Westerson. I find her writing style engaging, intelligent and easy to read. I love the way Jeri weaves her plots; they are complex enough to keep me intrigued without being convoluted. I feel that there’s always a good balance of humour, action, tension, mystery and romance in her tales. The pace that they develop and when things are revealed just feels right.

I loved the way Jeri continued to craft her world, building on the previous books.

As the series has progressed, the characters have evolved too. I like Kylie more and more with each book. She’s intelligent and has heaps of gumption (even if she does find herself in a quandary on the romantic front). I like how she’s evolving, becoming more self-assured and comfortable in her Chosen Host shoes. She’s grown since the first book and continues to do so during this adventure in both her skills and knowledge.

The secondary characters that Jeri created to populate her world, feel just as real as our lead.

All have strong, memorable personalities and aren’t just filling the page. For example kind old Doc Boone has turned into quite the mage and a wonderful patriarch. Teenager Jolene has also come into her own as the series has progressed and has become pivotal to the group. I love that Jeri writes her characters with the complexities that we’d see in those around us. They have a good balance of strengths and insecurities to make them feel real, even the supernatural ones. Who knew I’d end up really liking Kylie’s scummy ex-boyfriend, Jeff?!

Shadows in the Mist definitely kept me guessing.

I was holding my breath at times, on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. And I admit, I was scared a few times too, waiting to see what horrors would come out of that damn mist. I loved the shocking revelations, tense stand-offs and action-packed fight scenes. However, don’t worry it’s not all tension and scares. There are giggles and a good sprinkling of tummy tingling passion to balance it all out too.

Was there anything I didn’t like?

As my regular followers will know, I’m not a fan of cliffhanger endings. Shadows in the Mist doesn’t end in an obvious life or death situation. However, the book does kinda just stop right after an exhilarating fight scene. I’d prefer a scene or two to allow the adrenaline to come down (for me and the characters). I found it ended too abruptly and jarringly.

So far, Kylie and her coven friends have had to deal with different Booke escapees in each book. By the end of the book, the escaped monsters are duly captured and dealt with. While certain continuing storylines have been running in the background of the whole series. For example Kylie’s destiny/curse, the origins of the Booke and her romantic relationships. Jeri eloquently weaves any pertinent facts regarding previous adventures into this tale. However, you’ll lack many little details reading the series out of order or this one as a standalone. For example, knowing re-occurring characters and understanding the dynamics of those relationships.

Basically, what I’m saying is…

I really enjoyed this book; I couldn’t stop reading it. It kept me guessing, made me chuckle and put a lump in my throat. However, it also warmed my old romantic heart and sent tingles of titillation to my nether regions. The final book in this series – The Darkest Gateway – is due to be released later this year. I can’t wait to see how Jeri ties everything together for Kylie and her friends.

I’d recommend Shadows in the Mist to lovers of well-written tales of magic, curses, mystery and horror. Especially those readers who enjoy stories with a bit of passion and romance thrown in the mix.

Has my review of SHADOWS IN THE MIST (BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN #3) encouraged you to find out more? I really hope so. Click on any of the links to check out the book yourself.

Keep reading to find out more about this amazing series and Jeri herself.

Booke of the Hidden by Jeri Westerson

A girl. A mysterious book. Misfit Wiccans. A Baphomet biker gang. And a handsome demon. What could possibly go wrong?

Booke of the Hidden is four book adult urban fantasy series. The series is set in the beautiful, rural fictional village of Moody Bog, Maine, USA.

Our key human characters include: Our heroine, Kylie Strange. A local coven of Wiccans – retired doctor and part-time plasterer, Doc Boone, middle-aged Seraphina, a bohemian free-spirit and ‘sensitive’, Nick Riley barista and Goth and sixteen-year-old Jolene Ayrs, researching whiz kid and budding Wiccan. Moody Bog’s Sheriff and hotty, Ed Bradbury and Ruth Russell, a descendent of Moody Bog’s founding families.

There’s no set mythology (e.g. Norse, Christian, Egyptian, etc) to the paranormal elements. So, the non-human species that we encounter, which includes the elusive and enigmatic Mr Erasmus Dark, are more of a generic amalgam rather than from a specific belief system.

Books in the Series

This quirky-humorous yet edgy-romantic urban fantasy series is set in a small town in Maine. Booke of the Hidden is a completed urban fantasy series. Click on the titles to find out more and read my review.

• Booke of the Hidden (Booke of the Hidden #1) (2018)
• Deadly Rising (Booke of the Hidden #2) (2019)
• Shadows in the Mist (Booke of the Hidden #3) (2019)
• The Darkest Gateway (Booke of the Hidden #4) (2019)

The Booke of the Hidden titles are available in print, eBook and audio formats through the usual sources, including:

Amazon UK ¦ Amazon US ¦ Audible ¦ The Book Depository ¦ Waterstones

About Jeri Westerson

Los Angeles native JERI WESTERSON is the author of eleven Crispin Guest Medieval Noir novels, a series nominated for 13 national awards from the Agatha to the Shamus. Booke of the Hidden, Jeri’s debut urban fantasy series released in 2017, Romantic Times Magazine gave it Five Stars and it finaled for the Seal of Excellence from RT Reviews.

She frequently guest lectures on medieval history at local colleges and museums, and lives in southern California with her home-brewing husband, a complacent desert tortoise, and 40,000 bees.

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About Suzanne Elise Freeman

​Suzanne is passionate about audiobooks - as both a narrator and a fan. Her narrating origin story involves a figurative lightbulb and a literal couch. While listening to an audiobook she realized that her entire career - as a television reporter, writer, actor and avid reader - had led to an astonishingly obvious conclusion. To Suzanne, narrating is the quintessential mix of performance and literary artistry. A union of her father’s life-long dedication to theater and her mother’s love of reading. In short, the perfect occupation for an introverted extrovert.

Suzanne is a Minnesotan and a sci-fi fan - either of which can take precedence depending on the day and whether there’s lefse in the room or a new Star Wars movie coming out. She is not ashamed to admit that she enjoys 70s music. Just try to argue against Elton John or the BeeGees. You can’t.

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Thank you for visiting and taking the time to read this review. I really love this series – go and buy it!

My love of this series has blasted Jeri onto my Favourite Authors list. Before you go, check out which amazing authors I love reading.

Bye for now,

Flora x