Magic is in the air when Gus Goodwin, a pagan shopkeeper and owner of the Four Corners’ occult shop, meets a Niall Valentine, a mysterious PI investigating the disappearance of a local witch named Joy. What starts out as harmless flirting and information gathering soon turns into a partnership, with both men determined to solve the case.
Then bodies begin to pile up. Someone is using fire and water to kill witches associated with Joy, and it is up to Niall and Gus to find out what’s going on. But when their friendship blossoms into something else, the unknown dangers looming ahead become even more frightening. If they can’t solve the murders soon, they’re going to get themselves killed.
Professional Reviews
5 Stars for Sparks & Drops
Oh my. What could be better? Two sexy guys finding each other amongst the wonderful traditions and experiences that is Wicca. As a Wiccan myself (a solitary practitioner, not particularly devout but finding sense in the tenets and beliefs of this wonderful way of life), I settled in to read this book with a sense of expectation. And I wasn't disappointed. Susan Laine has such a lovely relaxed way of writing, letting you get into her characters' heads and finding out more about them. This is the story of Gus Goodwin, a young, surfer dude type witch, who runs his own occult shop called the Four Corners. In wanders the older, rougher Niall Valentine, a man with a purpose and the scene is set for the sparks to fly. Gus is a wonderful character, so fierce in his beliefs yet not wanting to foist them on anyone unwilling to accept them. He's knowledgeable, wary given the nature of people out there to distrust anything that is mainstream religion, and according to Niall, as sexy as hell. He's also one of those people who simply attracts trouble and sometimes leaps without looking. Niall is a private investigator, cautious, ex-military, smitten with the younger man and he's also very protective of Gus, not wanting to drag him into what he believes is a sordid affair when he starts investigating a missing witch. But he needs help in the Wiccan way of things, who better than the blond, green-eyed Gus? Things go from bad to worse and Gus finds himself in a rather compromising situation, one that Niall needs to rescue him from. Behind the scene of a routine missing person investigation lies a cauldron of desires, deceptions and delusions and things get very dangerous for them both. SPARKS & DROPS is a beautifully crafted tale, layered with intrigue and secrets, plenty of sexual desire and lusty needs between Niall and Gus, all wrapped up in a clever tale of mystery. I really enjoyed this book, for its characters and its setting in the Wiccan scene. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone out there who's looking for something a little different and wants a little magic with their story.
4.5 Stars to Sparks & Drops
Gus Goodwin, a pagan shopkeeper and owner of the Four Corners’ occult shop, has no idea his life is about to change forever when a man called Valentine walks into his shop. Sparks start to fly as the mysterious man starts asking questions about the Wicca religion and Gus’ shop. Then it turns out that Valentine is actually Niall Valentine, a PI investigating the disappearance of a local witch named Joy and things start to get complicated for both of them.
With Gus involving himself in Niall’s investigation, the two of them encounter one dead witch, and then another. As the bodies pile up, and fingers begin to point to other witches in the area, Gus and Niall’s relationship takes a serious turn. With a killer on the loose and the Wiccan community in an uproar, will Gus and Niall find the missing girl alive? And what will happen to their romance once the case is solved?
Susan Laine, a Fin, wrote this book in part because of a Finish Supreme Court ruling in 2001 that did not recognize Wicca as an “registered religious community” or established religion. This “hurtful act” inspired this book. As she wrote in her Acknowledgements “Sparks and Drops was written, in part, to show the life-affirming quality of Wicca and its rituals.” To that I say, she has succeeded in her goal and given us a terrific new series in the process.
Sparks & Drops contains so many different elements and combines them admirably. There is the mystery element as the men investigate first the missing Joy, a woman we get to know in her absence as the investigation deepens. Then as the murderer strikes, the investigation turns deadly and the suspense ratchets up as the men themselves fall into danger. Laine superimposes Gus and Niall’s growing romance over her murder mystery, balancing love and the investigation aspect equally. And importantly for this author, the teachings and rituals of the Wiccan religion flow like the threads of a tapestry throughout the story, pulling it together and highlighting its basic tenants while pointing out many misconceptions. It all works here and works exceedingly well.
I loved her characters, Gus is intelligent, burning with a zeal to inform about his religion, and still able to remain practical and humorously aware that others might not see it as he does. When the character gets on his “soapbox”, Gus (and the author) are quick to acknowledge that they are doing so. That’s a lovely element and one that continues throughout the story. Niall Valentine is a private detective with an open mind, a vet whose past experiences combine with a need to help others. His is a character that reveals more and more layers as the investigation starts to go awry and more people are killed.
We also meet other members of the Wiccan community, ones like Juliette, head witch of her own coven. Susan Laine creates lovely realistic people for her story. I suspect that these people will pop up again as The Wheel Mysteries continues and I can’t wait for those new stories to arrive.
If I had a quibble, it would be with just one aspect of the mystery. The part where the reader will want to shout out “no…..don’t go there……”. I still can’t make up my mind if it is in keeping with the character’s impulses or just a too formulaic part of the mystery. Did it keep me from going a little crazy over what happens next? No, it did not. There are still plenty of gut wrenching roller coaster moments to come!
So bring on the next mystery. I can’t wait to see what happens next to Gus and Niall. I absolutely recommend this to romance and mystery lovers alike.
Cover art by Brooke Albrecht is terrific and works perfectly for the story.
4.25 Stars - A Little Bit of Magical Romance
I absolutely adored Sparks & Drops!
Set in my favorite part of the country, the Great Northwest, this mystery wasn’t so complicated that I became lost in the storyline, and it managed to hold my interest from beginning to end. It even had a couple of surprises thrown in while figuring out the who-dun-it. Plus, it had the added bonus of learning more about Wicca practices.
Gus Goodwin came off as smart and adorable, with a dash of a temper when the mood suited him. And as a Wicca shop owner, I found him to be a very interesting character for a practicing witch, but his turning amateur sleuth….well…he needs some work. He tends to jump into situations head-first, and that’s where Niall Valentine comes in as his other half. Even though Niall was the one investigating the case of the missing girl, Joy, it didn’t take long for Gus to volunteer himself as soon as he figured out it was right up his Wiccan alley of expertise.
The only reason this one is getting a 4.25 Star rating instead of a 5 is that the voyeurism part of me felt cheated. The story started off with a good lead up to certain someones about to do the funky monkey, but then it left me hanging! Aaargh! Sure…fade to black when things started to look steamy.
Let’s also add to the fact that this is not an insta-love story but insta-lust. with the possibility of forming a partnership (relationship) between these two. In other words, they really, really like each other…a lot! There had better be a sequel involved with this one because I’m more than willing to read more of Susan Laine’s work.
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