• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
    • Creative Arts
    • Performance Art
  • My Books
    • Metaphysical Fiction
  • Blog
  • Contact

Review: The Stubborn Dead by Natasha Hoar

May 1, 2012 by Tahlia Newland

Title: The Stubborn Dead
Author:
Natasha Hoar
Publisher: Carina Press
Category: Urban fantasy

The Stubborn Dead is an enjoyable short novella about Rachel Miller, a ghost buster who wouldn’t like me to call her that. Her correct title is a Rescue Medium. She’s good at her job, which entails releasing trapped spirits from the earthly realm, but in The Stubborn Dead, she meets a challenge – a dangerous wraith who doesn’t act like he should.

Sylvia Elkeles, the client who engaged Rachel’s services is obviously hiding something and it may be something that could tip the scales between life and death for Rachel.

From the blurb
The Order [of Rescue Mediums] considers the wraith an extreme threat and Rachel may be forced to use a barbaric ritual to free him-a ritual that comes with a heavy personal price. If she fails to humanely release the wraith, she’ll have her supernatural abilities bound.

Add a local supernatural mob boss with a romantic interest in the heroine to the mix and things get more complicated.  Rachel eventually uncovers the disturbing truth about Sylvia and her relation to the wraith who may not realize he’s supposed to be dead.

This is a well constructed mystery with interesting, well rounded characters. Rachel is easy to like, but my favourite character at the end is actually the wraith. Although clues are left like a trail of breadcrumbs, I never picked the full truth until it was revealed because I’d never come across anything quite like it before. That’s no mean feat in today’s market bulging with urban fantasy.

The romance is very low key, so the book is suitable for young adults as well as adults and makes a great read for those times when you don’t want to get embroiled in a longer work. I give it 4 1/2  stars and recommend it for all urban and paranormal fantasy fans.

Buy on Amazon

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Paranormal Romance, Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Fantasy novels review blogs, Paranormal romance, The Stubborn Dead by Natasha Hoar

« Review: ‘Demon Crossings’ by Eleri Stone – paranormal romance
Review: White Witch by Trish Milburn »

Search

Recent Posts

  • The Ultimate Guide to Worldbuilding in Fiction Writing
  • Is What Makes Good Writing Just an Opinion?
  • Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin
  • Book Genres – What you Need to Know.
  • How to See Edits in Word Documents

View Posts by Category

Writing a novel? Feeling overwhelmed? Get new insight and inspiration with my FREE Novel Revision Checklist. 

DOWNLOAD  NOW

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Free Book Download  
Get Lethal Inheritance free when you sign up to my new release email list.  I won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at any time.

My Latest Books

  • Fallout: Recovering from Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism
  • The Elements of Active Prose: Writing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
  • The Locksmith's Secret
    Rated 5.00 out of 5

Alliance of Independent Authors

Alliance of Independent Authors

Click HERE to see all my books.

Books
Reviews, Writing, Cats & Contemplation
Editing

Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter and get my fantasy novel Lethal Inheritance FREE. 

How to Meditate – the crucial points

See more

Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

All my books are

Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

Click Here for More Articles in This Series

Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

More Posts from this Category

My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

More Posts from this Category

Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

I abide by the ethical author code

I'm an Ethical Author
Alliance of Independent Authors

Copyright

All material on this website is under copyright to Tahlia Newland and cannot be shared without written permission.

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • Creative Arts
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Amoré Theme by Oh, Hello Designs on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

FREE Novel Revision Checklist

Written a book? Need some help reviewing and revising it? Download my Novel Revision Checklist for step by step guidance.  

DOWNLOAD NOW

no thanks

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"120","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"7","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}

Please note: I am closed for holidays from Christmas day until Jan 30th 2023. Dismiss