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Second-Hand Murder (The Bandit Hills Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.1 out of 5 stars 241 ratings

Sometimes what looks like harmless fun…
Can be murder. Ghost-loving amateur sleuth and thrift shop owner, Cassie Cleary, loves her picturesque hometown, but Bandit Hills isn’t like other towns. The happenings there are hilarious, in an otherworldly sort of way.

The ghosts are generally friendly, but sometimes mysterious events have even the toughest residents of the haunted Tennessee town hiding under the covers.

With her cantankerous spirit-seeing cat in residence, Cassie happily caters to the thrift shopping needs of their unusual community, but when she receives a strange donation that is somehow linked to a recently deceased young woman, things in the eccentric town suddenly get even stranger and she finds herself in the middle of an investigation.

Will Cassie, and her Private Investigator pal, Dash, discover the meaning behind the unusual artifact before it's too late?

Find out in this slightly spooky, but altogether fun, Paranormal Cozy Mystery that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, and make you laugh out loud too!

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 See full series
There are 8 books in this series.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01ERQ40M6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Summer Prescott Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 24, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 169 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 8 ‏ : ‎ The Bandit Hills Series
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 241 ratings

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Blair Merrin
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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
241 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this paranormal mystery book for its perfect story pacing and wonderful quick read. They appreciate the characters and writing style, with one customer noting it contains none of the harsh language. The book features a small town feel, and customers particularly like the voodoo doll element as a nice twist.

19 customers mention "Story quality"19 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story's perfect pacing and suspenseful elements, with one customer noting its spooky atmosphere and another describing it as a fun little paranormal mystery.

"...Chock full of suspense, fascinating characters, a very well-developed heroin in Cassie..." Read more

"...The main characters are nicely developed and the plot moves at a steady pace...." Read more

"This is a cute little story...." Read more

"...: Book 1 in the Bandit Hills Series by Blair Merin is a captivating short mystery. It kept me entertained from start to finish...." Read more

14 customers mention "Enjoyment"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one mentioning how the voodoo doll element adds a nice twist to the paranormal cozy mystery.

"...that they read, while still at the same time being a delightfully fun-spirited cozy mystery, Second-Hand Murder is a "clean" read that contains none..." Read more

"...I'm not a huge fan of Paranormal Mystery, but this was an entertaining read...." Read more

"...Also, the formatting is just horrible. But still enjoyable." Read more

"...It kept me entertained from start to finish. I gave it five stars...." Read more

11 customers mention "Character development"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...Chock full of suspense, fascinating characters, a very well-developed heroin in Cassie..." Read more

"...The main characters are nicely developed and the plot moves at a steady pace...." Read more

"...any real suspense and it's not a very lever mystery, but the characters are likable and I enjoyed the author's voice and sense of humor...." Read more

"A fun little paranormal mystery, with the usual crazy characters, perfect for a lazy afternoon...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a wonderful quick read.

"A fast read. The voodoo doll is a nice twist. I like twists and turns in stories. Plus New Orleans is always good." Read more

"...a delightfully fun-spirited cozy mystery, Second-Hand Murder is a "clean" read that contains none of the harsh language nor graphic sexual or..." Read more

"...This story has some spooky elements and is a compelling read...." Read more

"This book was a enjoyable quick read. Nice break from the world for a little bit. Give it a try" Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, appreciating the wonderful little town setting.

"This was a great introduction to a wonderful little town and store that I would love to visit...." Read more

"...pushed this one to the back burner for me but I finally read it and LOVED IT!..." Read more

"Loved it. Not into stuff like that but if I keep reading about ghosts. And voodoo dolls......who knows enjoy reading this book" Read more

"...It was very light funny spooky read, a small town feel." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing style"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, with one noting it contains no harsh language.

"...for its unique and interesting location welcomes readers to the phenomenal writing and storytelling talents of author Blair Marin...." Read more

"...The people are great and written in a way that they come alive on the page. I loved it" Read more

"I thought it was well written and an enjoyable book" Read more

Bandit Hills Tennessee knows strange, but this mysterious VooDoo doll changes it all....
5 out of 5 stars
Bandit Hills Tennessee knows strange, but this mysterious VooDoo doll changes it all....
If you like paranormal stories like I do, then you’ve often thought if would be pretty cool if there was a place you could visit that was almost like a para-vacation location. You know, where you could go and actually see real stuff going on, hear actual voices and interact with the spirits and it’s completely normal. No judgment from anyone and people actually believe you without that weird look after you tell them that you just hear voices in your attic. Well, Blair Merrin has created that place, Bandit Hills, Tennessee. When something strange happens in Bandit Hills, they have a saying, “ That’s Bandit Hills for ya!” We meet Cassie and her mom in their antique shop, Miss Miscellanea, which sells other people’s castaway treasures. Some items are junk but others are down right fascinating. On this particular day, one of the most interesting finds of all shows up in a box. In an unmarked box, sitting along with other boxes full of uninteresting items, is a small, roughly made burlap doll with button eyes and yellow hair and a photo of a recently deceased woman. Cue creepy music, right? For this town however, just another Tuesday. Well, things are about to change. Cassie begins to wonder why someone would place a photo of a recently deceased woman with a voodoo doll and more over who the woman was. So, she begins looking her up out of pure curiosity. She then calls her old high-school friend turned investigator, Dash to see if he could find out more about who she now knows is Stephanie Marshall after a quick look at recent obits on the internet. Their investigation uncovers a lot; too much. They discover an ominous note, speak to a spirit from beyond the grave, break into the deceased Stephanie’s home, find a photo of her with a mystery man which leads Cassie to take a trip to New Orleans in search of said mystery man and there, encounter evil magic beyond their imagination. The ending is heart stopping and leads one with more questions than answers. Here’s to hoping for a second book! Second-Hand Murder is an amazing premier paranormal book for Blair Merrin. She has hit upon several aspects that some authors are yet to hit upon. I love the theme, the characters and the constant action throughout the book.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I just finished re-reading this wonderful book now that I know how to post reviews. This is intended to be an extremely well-deserved and well-earned Five-Star rating and review because I am thoroughly enjoying this series, right from this very first book in it.

    Telling the story of what happens when second-hand shop owner Cassandra (Cassie) Cleary receives, among merchandise for her shop, a mysterious ugly doll and photo of a woman she eventually learns is dead. Set in the spooky small town of Bandit Hills, TN, where bizarre and spooky occurrences seem to be as commonplace almost as is breathing, this first book in the series named for its unique and interesting location welcomes readers to the phenomenal writing and storytelling talents of author Blair Marin.

    Chock full of suspense, fascinating characters, a very well-developed heroin in Cassie (with whom readers will easily identify and genuinely like and care about), plenty of plot twists and turns along the way, perfect story pacing that will keep readers turning pages until the very end (both times I read this book, I did so in a single sitting simply because I couldn't stop or put the book down), a unique and interesting setting, plenty of spine-tingling and chilling suspense, and all the creepy "spookies" that lovers of paranormal mysteries could ever hope to experience in the books that they read, while still at the same time being a delightfully fun-spirited cozy mystery, Second-Hand Murder is a "clean" read that contains none of the harsh language nor graphic sexual or violent content that could offend some readers. This makes this wonderful book perfect for readers of all ages.

    So, if you're a reader who is looking for a good clean spookfest that will both delight and entertain you while keeping you on the edge of your seat from the first page of the book right up to and including the very last word, then Blair Marin's Second-Hand murder is definitely the book for you… I cannot recommend this book for this series more highly than I do… Without a doubt, this is one of the single best paranormal cozy mysteries I have ever read. I can hardly wait to continue re-reading all of the other books in this phenomenal series.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Cassie owns a second-hand store in the tiny town of Bandit Hills. Each day she and her one employee, her mother, sort through the donations that come in overnight. An unusual donation is quickly linked to a recently deceased woman.
    Along with her best friend Dash, a private investigator, Cassie sets out to discover what killed Stephanie. This search leads them on a path they never imagined.
    I'm not a huge fan of Paranormal Mystery, but this was an entertaining read. The main characters are nicely developed and the plot moves at a steady pace. There are interesting supporting characters who make you want to learn more about them. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is a cute little story. It doesn't have any real suspense and it's not a very lever mystery, but the characters are likable and I enjoyed the author's voice and sense of humor. However, it's more the length of a novella, not a novel. So I'm surprised by the price. I would have marked it higher, but there are two glaring problems with it. First, the author attempts to write in first person present, but keeps slipping into first person past tense. Also, the formatting is just horrible. But still enjoyable.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Second-Hand Murder: Book 1 in the Bandit Hills Series by Blair Merin is a captivating short mystery. It kept me entertained from start to finish. I gave it five stars.

    The protagonist, Cassie has a mantra: "One person's trash is another person's treasure." It's what keeps her going as she sorts through donation box. This is something I learned from my parents. Nothing goes to waste.

    Only her mother calls her Cassandra. It used to irk her when she was sixteen but now she's thirty-two. Her other nickname is Miss Miscellanea which is the name of her secondhand shop. Her mom is her only employee.

    They are located in Bandit Hills, Tennessee which is known for unusual phenomena. There's an expression whenever anything strange happens: "That's Bandit Hills for ya."

    Cassie is friends with Dash who was a high school friend & is now a private investigator. She calls him about a voodoo doll she received with a photo of a woman who died the prior week & hires him to investigate the death.

    Cassie has just the right amount of snarkiness & she & Dash have funny interactions.

    "The problem with being awoken in the middle of the night by a loud noise is that you don't actually know what the noise was, because you weren't awake for it--which in my book, is worse than just hearing a loud noise in the middle of the night, because at least than you might be able to determine what it was."

    I received a complimentary kindle copy from Amazon. That did not change my opinion for this review.

    Link to purchase: Second-Hand Murder: Book 1 in The Bandit Hills Series
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Running a shoe with donated merchandise turns out to be more than the owner bargained for. With the help of a high school friend they try to find what is going on with the strange little doll left at the second hand store. Enough intriguing happenings to keep you turning the page .
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Second-Hand Murder is the first book in a new series. This book is a paranormal mystery book. This story has some spooky elements and is a compelling read. I enjoyed this story and you will find yourself hooked on the story until the end of the book. I highly recommend it. This is a shorter story and great for a quick read.

    I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Shar
    4.0 out of 5 stars A great cozy mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this book. I like a cozy mystery and this ticked all the boxes. It had laughs, intrigue and murder. I liked the characters too.

    The story is about Cassie, who owns a junk shop and lives in the spooky town of Bandit Hills.

    After receiving a donation to her shop a spirit contacts her wanted her to solve her unexplained death.

    As soon as I finished this book I bought the second in the series.

    I look forward to reading more by Blair.

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