The second installment in the Kincaid Strange series finds her over her head in trouble once again. I really like the premise and all the elements of this series. Great characters and a world that I want to learn more about. I’m looking forward to more Kincaid, Nate, and Gideon.

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Lipstick Voodoo is a pleasant departure from the average paranormal/ urban fantasy.  While it isn’t perfect, (Nate can be extremely annoying) it has a lot in its favor - an intriguing magical premise (spiritual energy comes from the otherside and can be used to contact/raise the dead), a capable heroine, and interesting supporting characters (a sorcerer’s Ghost, a zombie attorney/bar owner, a dead grunge rocker stuck in a decaying body, etc..).  


Kincaid Strange is a Voodoo practitioner, bringing the dead back in order to resolve issues and answer questions.  She was looking for murderers with the local police, but the new chief has canceled all contracts and is painting all practitioners as charlatans.  Now, she is left dealing with lawyers looking to resolve disputed wills. Kincaid’s biggest problem is her friend Nate. His ghost has somehow gotten caught in a decaying body - the body that a powerful sorcerer had planned to inhabit.  She is drawn into helping with a cold case, the accidental overdose of a rocker that simply doesn’t add up. Nate is connected, but he refuses to share how. Soon the body of a former roadie shows up, frozen solid and surrounded by ice - in the middle of a former dive bar.  


I didn’t care too much for Nate.  He was remarkably stubborn and creepy when it came to stalking his former girlfriend, and his propensity for keeping secrets endangers them both.  Of course the book would be a LOT shorter if he hadn’t been. It’s a small weakness in the plot. On the whole Lipstick Voodoo is an entertaining book and shows a lot of promise.  I have high hopes for the future of this series.


4 / 5


I received a copy of Lipstick Voodoo from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


— Crittermom

I couldn’t get past the first 10% of this due to poor grammar, syntax, and heavy repetition. Unfortunately, while I think the story does sound interesting, this book was not for me.

Kincaid Strange is a voodoo practitioner. However, she's not your stereotypical voodoo priestess! Twenty-seven years old, she's in Seattle, WA, of all places, doing what it takes to keep the rent paid. She's headstrong, tenacious, and more importantly, a little unconventional. Sounds like a great protagonist, right? She raises the dead to pay the bills. She's great at her job; Not so great at people skills. She's obviously more comfortable in the company of the dead. She's extremely likable, in spite of her poor decisions and innate ability to create chaos in her life. To add to the mayhem, she has a ghost turned zombie for a roommate, and an ex-boyfriend working for the city's police force that recently distanced itself from all things paranormal. Did I mention the sorcerer's ghost that pops by occasionally in her bathroom mirror, or that said sorcerer can't know about the zombie incident? Awk-ward.

Lipstick Voodoo doesn't waste any time getting drawing you in. Kincaid is raising a zombie for the family to contest the dead man's will. It gives you an introduction into how Kincaid does what she does, how she uses the magic of the Otherside to do so, and how the norms while enjoying the benefits, are still prejudiced against the magic that makes it all possible. I think you truly get a feel for Kincaid right from the start. She's good at what she does and makes it look effortless, but those around her are surprisingly indifferent.

After this engaging intro, the pacing felt extremely slow until about the 50% mark, and then the proverbial crap hit the fan. The rest of the book couldn't come quickly enough. If it feels slow, stick with it because it's worth it! I devoured the rest of the book until it came to a very, steep cliffhanger. It couldn't have happened better if it were a movie script! I know some people hate cliffhangers, but I love a book that makes me want to get the next one into my grubby hands immediately!

Charish's world construct overlaying Seattle was thoroughly satisfying. It's gritty and imaginative. There is a diverse cast of paranormal creatures. Other than the ghouls, all the supernatural beings have retained their humanity, which is rare for an urban fantasy. There are very few characters that are unequivocally human. All the magic in Kincaid's realm comes from the Otherside. It's an incredibly complex system involving multiple forms of Otherside, bindings, and anchor symbols. The bindings come from all cultures across the world and vary in degree and difficulty. I think the magical aspects of the book are extremely well thought out and planned, but in practice, could use a little more asides to the reader as they occur.

This is the second book in the Kincaid Strange series. I have not read the first book, so it was a little hard to orient myself in the story. If you had read the first book, I think you'd easily follow along. The backstory is given to us almost right away but we aren't introduced to all the characters until a bit later. It's like when your grandmother starts telling you about people you don't know and you're expected to be invested in her story. If you've met them, even once, you go "oh, okay", but without a face to the name, all you hear is a Charlie Brown "wah wah wah' until she stops talking. I read the words, but they didn't mean anything yet. Eventually, as the characters introduced themselves to us, I felt like I got the hang of the who, what, when, and where. It just took a bit of repetition for me to get there. I look forward to getting to know some of the supporting characters better, especially Gideon.

All things considered, it was an enjoyable urban fantasy read with a flawed but relatable protagonist, a mixed bag of amusing secondary characters, and a well-planned universe.

If you love Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan, you'll like Kincaid Strange!

I cannot say enough about this book. In the style and grit of Laurell K Hamiltons Anita Blake, Kincaid Strange is a dark pleasure to read. With her very much relatable personality (flaws and all), she shines in the story. Not as the heroine the book wants but one that is needed.

This being the first book I read from Kristi Charish, it was easy to pick up without having read the first book in the series. While there were references to the previous books events, you didn't feel like you had to read it first to understand this story. Books that are written this was are a pleasure to read. In fact that is how I started with the Anita Blake series ( Cerulean Sins ).

Being from Seattle myself, I loved this present day version of my beloved home. As I was reading, I could actually envision this as a possible version of Seattle. Kristi Charish spares no part of Seattle in this telling. Especially in her use of Seattles historic underground, which you can really take a tour of if you visit there in real life.

The descriptors that she uses for her characters make you able to visualize them with ease. You can tell what the characters style choices and even their posture is. Enabling a fully envisioned picture to form as you read. Which, at least personally, makes me dive fully into a book and get lost in it world.

I will be looking forward to another installment. Hoping that she continues the momentum and longevity of the story arch.

I love this book and character. It's quirky and the cast of characters fit right in. A great new take on the world of ghosts, zombies and other things. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out. #LipstickVoodoo #NetGalley