Customer Reviews

Crone's Moon: A Rowan Gant Investigation: A Rowan Gant Investigation (Rowan Gant Investigations)

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With this volume, the 5th in the Rowan Gant Investigation series, Sellars stakes out new ground, some of which I'm not entirely comfortable with. Let me start out by saying that I read and watch a lot of horror - I'm comfortable with a fair amount of violence. And violence really isn't the issue here but whether it contributes to the plot, is gratuitous - used in place of a plot. Crone's Moon skates very close to that latter and it bothers me since, after all, this is supposed to be an investigation, not a torturing.

This time Gant discovers that the blackouts that started during The Law of Three were actually due to a connection with a different series of killings by yet another serial killer. To make matters more complicated, Gant's wife Felicity has interfered with Gant's own connection to the spiritual and has managed to get hooked into the same circuit that has been zapping Rowan. Felicity becomes as frenzied as Gant in trying to stop the crimes and both seem to drive each other into fits where the connection to the victim threatens to kill one or both Gants. Throw in a lot of chasing around and some arguments with the authorities and you pretty much have the entire plot.

Other than the collusion of Felicity, this is pretty much standard Gant fare, although I wish Sellars would just once take the time to work out why all this keeps happening instead of just describing what a witch would call a 'bad hair day.' But there are only two plot devices in play, Rowan's arguing with his wife, and the secondhand violence suffered by witches in connection with the victims. And the latter is where most of the writing effort went. So instead of a few shocking episodes to set the atmosphere we get a continual flow of spooky epileptic fits and stigmata. This build tension for a while, but it also bogs down the plot. So you get to wince at the secondhand torment of the Gants and wonder why all this is happening to the main characters.

We never really get an answer. Instead, the conclusion is a frantic chase, followed by a very short wrap up. And now we have two witches who can't maintain enough self-control to be truly effective instead of one. And an Indian police detective who keeps calling people 'white man' and 'fire hair'. How you react to this will depend one what you are looking for. What I wanted was a mystery story with a couple intelligent witches (yes, there are intelligent witches). What I got was a standard fare serial killer suspense thriller with some spooky parts.

Rowan Gant wakes up to find that he's had a seizure. He's had these before and gets the sinking suspicion the malady has more to do with his practice as a witch than it does failing health. When Rowan and his best friend Detective Ben Storm witness the mayor's daughter being kidnapped and the headless corpse of a local school teacher is discovered, Rowan's suspicions become concrete. Once again, he is channeling the pain and torture of a serial killer's victims.

Felicity, Rowan's wife, and a strong witch in her own right, tries to protect Rowan with a binding spell. Unfortunately, the spell backfires, putting her on the receiving end of the victim's calls for help. With both witches being pulled into the ethereal world, they need the help of Detective Storm, his sister, psychiatrist Helen Storm, and old pal FBI special agent Mandalay in order to catch the killer before he strikes again.

M.R. Sellars's action packed paranormal suspense, CRONE'S MOON, is the fifth book in the Rowan Gant Investigation series. I've enjoyed each and everyone and highly recommend this book for those who like the genre.

Months have passed since witch Rowan Gant has worked police cases and he hopes that phase of his life is over, but on a subconscious level he knows his fate is to put the bad guys in jail using his psychic powers. His wife Felicity is also a witch but she grounds Rowan so that he never loses his connection to the world. His friend Detective Ben Storm believes in his powers but Lieutenant Barbara Albright, a right wing bible thumper, deems Rowan and Felicity are the Devil's tools.

When Rowan starts having seizures, he knows someone is being tortured and he is being called into the case by whoever is being killed. Rowan and Ben witness the kidnapping of the mayor's daughter and the mayor wants them on the case much to the chagrin of Albright. Felicity picks up the pain the woman is undergoing before she dies. Next Felicity's friend Kathy is captured and tortured; Felicity feels her pain and knows with her spouse and their police friend they must find serial killer although they risk becoming the next victims.

A Rowan Gant mystery is always a pleasure to read as the audience is taufgt that witches are benign people trying to do good deeds whenever they get a chance. The relationship between Rowan and Felicity is so romantic it is what legends are made of and his friendship with Storm shows that people of different religions can still be good friends. It takes respect for one another and an open mind as shown by Storm's trust in Rowan's powers. CRONE'S MOON is an exciting crime thriller with touches of the supernatural that add spice to a flavorful repast.

Harriet Klausner

Crones Moon will keep readers hooked from page 1. Rowan is at it again- and this book takes some interesting twists and turns that will leave you at the edge of your seat, unable to put the book down. The characters keep developing and becoming more and more interesting (and, most of them, endearing) with each edition of the series. Sellars writes with amazing description that sucks you into the pages and leaves you surprised at the return to Real Life once the last page has been read. The only negative thing that I can say is that these books just can't come out *fast* enough! But they're MORE than worth the wait!

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Rowan Gant series. The rest of the books are really only rehashing of previous events.

Rowan's connection with murder victims becomes more and more traumatic, Rowan and Felicity become more and more violent and they become less and less practicing Pagans. Each book becomes less and less enjoyable.
After reading Harm None and Never Burn a Witch I felt like I would have loved to meet Rowan and Felicity. After reading the rest of the books I hope I never meet anyone even remotely like them.

I was hoping for a postive view of Pagans in the modern world. Characters who held onto their spiritual beliefs in the face of overwhelming odds. But as the series progresses, Rowan and Felicity become complete hypocrites. Both characters become snarky with each other and Ben and both become very violent. What a disappointment.

My advice is to read Harm None and Never Burn a Witch and forget the rest.

Rowan Gant is back, and this time it's a serial killer with a taste for the macabre.

M. R. Sellars presents us with the fifth mystery in this series and this one is as spooky as a mystery can get.

The focus this time is on the relationship between a witch and the subjects they can channel. There is a connection between Rowan and his wife Felicity and those poor victims of the serial killer. As they cry out to be rescued, Rowan and Felicity hear them, and are lead in a race against time and a chase to find the killer.

Character development continues with Lieutenant Barbara Albright, or "Bible Barb" as she has come to be known. We find her mind is still not changed regarding Rowan or Felicity. And we have the rest of the cast to fill out the balance of the story: Detective Ben Storm, his sister Helen Storm the psychiatrist and FBI Special Agent Constance Mandalay. The events take place again in the city of St. Louis. The victims this time are not witches, but that does not make any difference. These poor people are dying at the hands of a sadistic killer, and all of them share a linking element: they are missing their heads.

The interaction here is between Rowan and Felicity and their connections with the victims. We are lead inside the experiences of these two as they "channel" the victim. We view first hand what happens to these two as they experience the pain, the suffering and the hopelessness that each victim feels as they are tortured by their captor. This gives the book the spooky, eerie settings and feeling and makes this one a real spine tingler.

The Crone's Moon is that phase of the moon just before it goes to New Moon. We, as witches, associate this with the aspect of the Goddess as the old woman, or crone, the elder who is on in years. This book title deals with our image of the Goddess showing us that we are all mortal, we all die. This is explained in the book, but is not obvious from the onset. And it plays a part in how Mr. Sellars explains the different aspects of Rowan's beliefs as a witch.

This book also exaggerates some of the aspects of the Craft, taking artistic license to provide more atmosphere to the story. We all do not channel dead or dying people, especially at the level described in the book. Nor do we maintain constant connections to all our friends and families like suggested in the book. But some of us do have such talents to varying degrees. This is fiction, this is a scary story, and this is a mystery to be solved. Mr. Sellars uses this very effectively in his fictional story and makes the most of this practice to provide us with the needed thrills and chills.

The book is a real page turner with a well developed plot. The effects are carefully orchestrated to maximize the terror and engross the reader in the thrill of the chase.

Will the killer succeed in obtaining another victim? Will "Bible Barbara" successfully shut down the involvement of the "satanic witches" and allow another poor soul to suffer at the hands of a warped, deranged killer? Will Rowan, Felicity, Storm and Constance get there in time to prevent another killing?

Again, I am not giving away any story line. It is up to you to read and discover for yourself. If you have enjoyed the other stories in the Rowan Gant Investigations series, then you will totally enjoy this one. boudica

A serial killer and witches what else do you need to make a good read. Crone's Moon, a perfect name for a moon just before it turns full and the witches come out. This time it's not witches causing the trouble but a serial killer on the move. It's the witches helping find the killer. M.R. Sellars is at it again with the fifth mystery in the series and this book is a good one.
A husband and wife team use their skills to channel the victims cry for help. Time is running out as they hunt for the killer. Barbara Albright doesn't believe in the powers of witches and since she is a lieutenant in the police force she trys her own way to find the killer. Detective Ben Storm, his sister a psychiatrist and Constance Mandalay special agent for the FBI are also involved in the case. It seems the serial killer had a thing for killing witches but the tide has changed and in the city of St. Louis the killer strikes again and its not witches this time. There is one thing that ties them all together and that is a part of their body seems to be missing. While the husband and wife team channel there enegy to help find the killer they feel the pain of each person being killed.
A must read-Larry Hobson- Author- The Day Of The Rose

Interesting book in a series. I recommend all the books in the series, the author writes a believable character and you come to know these characters as if they were people you could talk with daily. Author has a great sense of humor and mixes the facts and fiction of a real city, magic and drama into a very fast read with lots of action. The author also provides introduction to himself and his stories. This is helpful for anyone who might wish to research more about magick, wicca or the cities in the book.

Mr. Sellars again delights with another spooky, great read!

This time Rowan's feisty and endearing wife, Felicity, gets more involved. She too, can hear/feel the victims and joins Rowan and Ben's the race down the path of desperation to find a sadistic killer.

The connection between witches and victims grows stronger and more dangerous. Every horrible experience the victims suffer is shared by Rowan and Felicity. The pain, suffering, fear, helplessness is frightening and overwhelming and Mr. Sellars adeptly sucks us into the character's need to stop the terror.

This book is a well orchestrated balance of characters, both lovable and hate-worthy, such as Detective Ben Storm, his sister, psychiatrist Helen Storm and FBI Special Agent Constance Mandalay as well as the thorn in Rowan's and Ben's sides, Lieutenant Barbara Albright, or "Bible Barb", intertwined with a hair raising murder mystery. The plot will not disappoint as you discover that you have been holding your breath with anticipation!

Will Rowan, Felicity, Ben and Constance get there in time to prevent another murder or will Bible Barb get so caught up in stonewalling them that she allows another victim to suffer? Will Rowan and Felicity be strong enough to channel the victims productively or will they push themselves too hard and pay the ultimate price?

Well, M. R. Sellars is a master of the macabre and this latest installment in the Rowan Gant Investigations is a true testament to that fact. Just when I thought things couldn't get any more gruesome or bizarre, he's proven me wrong yet again. Rowan Gant is basically a pagan CSU tech and conduit for all things ethereal. Truly I don't know how he can keep up with this pace for much longer without either kicking the proverbial bucket or just burning out and becoming an emotional wreck.

Faced with a series brutal serial killings, the MCS of St. Louis has its hands full and then some. Normally it is just Rowan who hears dead people, well channels them and the pain they experienced the time of their deaths. But in Crone's Moon, his lovely wife Felicity is unwittingly sucked into this terrible ethereal void and is getting the messages and pain first hand. Rowan is at a loss as to what to do to keep his wife safe, grounded and better yet alive.

Everybody's favorite person to hate, (well, at least mine anyways) Bee Bee aka Bible Barb is in the mix of things with her ignorant, prejudiced, uneducated ravings about paganism and tries everything in her power to keep Rowan out of the investigation. If you want to know more about Bee Bee, you will have to read the series, because frankly, just thinking about her gives me a headache. LOL

Will Rowan be capable of dealing with not only his ties to the case but Felicity's as well? This and more are revealed in this utterly gripping and gruesome serial killer series.

Reviewed at Bitten by Books Paranormal Fiction Review Site by Rachel