Cassidy Kincaide loves her job...most of the time. She's inherited Trifles & Folly, an antique/curio store in Charleston, South Carolina, from her uncle. The store has been in their family since 1670, and Cassidy is continuing the tradition of finding beautiful antiques. She's also continuing the tradition of finding and neutralizing dangerous magical and supernatural items and getting them off the market and out of mortal hands.

When normal antiques suddenly become linked to malicious spirits who go far beyond frightening, Cassidy must find what is triggering these sudden, deadly hauntings before Charleston's bloody history comes back with a vengeance.

DEADLY CURIOSITIES by Gail Z. Martin has to be one my new favorite urban fantasy series. First off, the concept is amazing. Cassidy is a psychometric. She can see and feel the history of an object by touching it. Putting her in a job in which every object comes with an emotional history is simply amazing, not to mention that Charleston is an old city steeped in a history of violence. It makes for a potentially combustible atmosphere.

The cast of characters adds to the charm of this series. Sorren, Cassidy's business partner and a 500 year old vampire, is quite mysterious, and I cant wait to learn more about him as Martin continues with the Deadly Curiosities series. Teag is a fantastic sidekick for Cassidy. He keeps her out of trouble, most of the time, provides humor and support, acts as a bodyguard if need, and his relationship with his partner Anthony adds a touch of sweet romance. The varied Charleston residents, from an aging Southern belle to a powerful Voudon queen, create a powerful and diverse cast who will surprise and delight.

The plot is surprisingly dark, much more so than the brief blurb lets on. I don't want to give away any spoilers because the unexpected direction DEADLY CURIOSITIES takes is part of the pleasure, and how Gail Z. Martin ties seemingly random events together to create a frightening story is simply fantastic.

DEADLY CURIOSITIES is a must read! I can't believe it's taken me this long to find author Gail Z. Martin. I'm moving her to my auto-buy list and can't wait to get my hands on the other books in the Deadly Curiosities series.

Book Summary

Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles & Folly, an antique/curio store and high-end pawn shop in Charleston, South Carolina that is more than what it seems. Dangerous magical and supernatural items sometimes find their way into mortal hands or onto the market, and Cassidy is part of a shadowy Alliance of mortals and mages whose job it is to take those deadly curiosities out of circulation.

Welcome to Trifles & Folly, an antique and curio shop with a dark secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide continues a family tradition begun in 1670—acquiring and neutralizing dangerous supernatural items. It’s the perfect job for Cassidy, whose psychic gift lets her touch an object and know its history. Together with her business partner Sorren, a 500 year-old vampire and former jewel thief, Cassidy makes it her business to get infernal objects off the market. When mundane antiques suddenly become magically malicious, it’s time for Cassidy and Sorren to get rid of these Deadly Curiosities before the bodies start piling up.

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