Madame Eleanor (Ellie Wilde) is a fake. And a delightful one, at that. Here she is in her third mystery and is preparing to go on a snorkeling vacation with her very wealthy boyfriend, Nicholas. Ellie is a fake psychic and many call her a witch, a real one. That's fine with her as her talent as a 'psychic' pays the bills and makes her customers happy. I see her as sort of a therapist - people want the spirits banished, she snoops around, figures out what is amiss and fixes it. Stress relieved and the clients continue their lives. Sometimes there's a homicide or several to be investigated along the way. As a new way of life, Ellie is happy that she left The States and settled into life in Sussex. But about that snorkeling vacation? Not so much.
When Nicholas tells her that the vacation plans have changed, she is fine with that as the new plans involve a lost stash of heirlooms, a curse and a recently deceased father (might it have been murder?). As she says, "there's a ghost somewhere in the Outer Hebrides that needs my attention" It turns out that the new plan is to travel to a remote castle on the private island of Airgead in the Outer Hebrides. The first hitch? Nicholas won't be traveling with her and she won't be flying. It's a long train trip plus the fishing boat that will get her to the island. So much for his private jet. On the train she crosses paths with Birdie who is also a psychic and is going to the same island, same reason. That's going to present a bit of a challenge for Ellie.
This was just the sort of escape I needed, full of humor, great characters and a well crafted mystery. The setting was properly spooky, too. Great for your Halloween TBR list. It works fine as a stand alone but be ready to get your hands on the previous two mysteries and binge read them. You're in for a real treat.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Everything about this series, and this book in particular is so unique and enjoyable. Our favorite not to real psychic is back and in trouble again. All of the beloved characters are back and better than ever. Family heirlooms, and a real psychic add to this story making the mystery even more robust. Definitely a different and amazing read.

What I hate about Curses Is For Cads is we meet a new group of interesting characters that we probably won't hear from again with the exception of one. Eleanor goes to the Outer Hebrides to help a friend of Nicholas' to find the family's lost cursed gold. The family hopes Eleanor can contact the deceased family patriarch to learn the location of the gold. Along the way to the coast, Eleanor is joined by a follow medium who is also heading to the same island. Much to the surprise of the family who didn't invite that person. I like 1. She's practical unless she has to pull out the medium card. And it doesn't hurt that she is starting to develop psychic abilities. Looking forward to the fourth book.

Curses Are for Cads by Tamara Berry is the 3rd book in Eleanor Wilde Mystery series, and another unique book that I really enjoyed. I loved this series! Eleanor Wilde moved to England, hired by a rich English man Nicholas Hartford III, to get rid of the ghosts in his family's England estate. Nicholas and Eleanor are now dating and planning a tropical vacation, when their plans change. Wow, this book was so good, and I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. There are a lot of twists and turns that kept me reading. There is a wonderful mixture of mystery, humor, and romance for a well-balanced unique story. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book/series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’ve read the other books in this series before, so I was excited to see another one. Eleanor is such a great mix of a skeptic of the paranormal even though she can hear the voice of her dead sister. In this latest, she’s on her own with another psychic who Eleanor knows is faking it, but she can’t quite figure out how. They’re helping Eleanor’s boyfriend’s high school friend find gold her dead father hid, but the gold is attached to a curse. I had so much fun reading this, and I absolutely loved how it ended; it was so very appropriate. A light-hearted, cozy mystery sure to please anyone who likes the genre. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This is such a fun read ! As book #3 in the Eleanor Wilde Mystery series this had a great sleuth and fun charcters. The story was very well crafted and kept me guessing throughout the story. I love the castle and the story of the cursed gold the protagnist is searching for in this next in series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. I highly recommend this next in series.

Eleanor is a fake medium. I like her bravery and ability to continue her facade . She visits clients homes, and pretends to get rid of whatever spirit they think is bothering the.m She makes a living at this and no one is the wiser as her clients always believe her. Eleanor and her boyfriend are now asked to visit a castle to search for cursed gold. The adventure begins and I love the way the author played out this mysterious curse within the castle .

This is a fun series with a unlikely unusual protagonist who is smart and savvy. This is a charming next in series and a enjoyable read.

Curses Are for Cads is the 3rd book in the Eleanor Wilde Mystery series.

Eleanor Wilde is an American bogus psychic who has set herself up as the local town witch under the guise of Eleanor's Cleansing Service in a quaint English village in Sussex. When her beau, Nicholas Hartford III's university pal, Sid Stewart, asks for her services as a medium, Ellie is only too delighted to help. She travels to the family's remote castle in Scotland to uncover the Stewart's cursed gold, fully aware that she will need to fake it, but isn't troubled until she discovers that fellow medium, Birdie White, will also be assisting the Stewart family... and Birdie is an expert in her area.

Curses Are for Cads was my 1st in this series. Although it was book three, I had no difficulties keeping up with characters and events and it worked for me as an individual story. Protagonist Eleanor was a great character who I liked immensely from the first few pages. She was fiery and had a knack for dramatising her witchy persona, instilling collywobbles or relief within her audience. Along with Birdie's desire for attention, an electricity power loss that cut the castle off from the mainland, and the family's hidden secrets, Eleanor really had a job on her hands!

The setting was haunting and gothic and having two mediums competing for the family's attention while trying to upstage one another was a perfect fit for this spooky and mysterious story. There was no shortage of comedy or engaging chapters so I was thoroughly invested in finding out what would happen next. The great cast of characters, including two troublesome twins, helped to zhoosh up this mystic cozy. Tamara Berry really impressed me with her fluid writing; the details of the plot were very well-executed, and the story was amusing and easy to follow. I was kept guessing until the very end and really enjoyed this witchy adventure. I am looking forward to reading book 4, as well as the others from the series. If you adore a great cozy mystery, don't miss out on Curses Are for Cads!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

situational-humor, verbal-humor, fraud, murder, psychics, cosy-mystery

The case of the dueling psychics? An allegedly real psychic (Birdie White), an admittedly scam psychic (Eleanor Wilde), a probable murder (or two) in a spooky Scottish castle, and a supposedly cursed family with a long history of swindling and pirates. And Gloriana's Curse. It starts out slow to set up for the mischief to come, but then it speeds up rapidly like the Energizer Bunny. The mystery is well plotted and has enough twists and red herrings to keep one guessing, the tone is both atmospheric and mischievous, and the characters are both fascinating and fun. It turned out to be a really good read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is #3 in the Eleanor Wilde series, the first of which I absolutely loved for it tone. Eleanor Wilde is a medium, and a supposedly a self-aware fake one who actually has some actual talent. In this one she ends up going to an island where the owner has just passed away (is it murder?), supposedly has hidden gold somewhere. She is called upon to search for the gold and deal with Gloria ma's curse. Another medium, extremely outlandish, meets up with her on her way to the island. Eleanor has her hands full trying figure out all the players and motives. While this one is not my favorite in the series as it starts a little slow then gets a little frenetic, it still is an enjoyable cozy with interesting characters and a solid mystery that I was not able to guess.

This was a fun read. "Medium" Eleanor Wilde is sent to a remote Scottish island to the home of the Stewart family. She is asked to stop a curse that has affected the family for hundreds of years. Ellie's boyfriend's old friend Glenn Stewart was the latest victim of the curse and has passed away. On the journey to the island, Ellie is joined by Birdie, another medium whose brash style irritates. The family is searching for gold that has been the source of the family curse and Ellie is asked to find the gold so the curse can be laid to rest. But Ellie may be another victim of the curse if she doesn't watch out. A lot of fun. good characters and good plot.

4.5 stars

This was a unique mystery where the main character wasn't the traditional good girl. Eleanor Wilde is a charlatan who surprisingly does have psychic powers.. She goes to an island at the request of her boyfriend to uncover cursed gold.

This story was a fun read. Especially loved the character of Birdie, the uncooth psychic who ingratiates herself into the roose.

Loving this series so much. Love how mixed Eleanor's feeling are and how truly complex the mystery was. Almost felt like a historical cozy. Definitely a series I want to continue with.

I received this as an ARC for an honest review from NetGalley. TY!

Curses are For Cads is a great parnormal mystery.. While I didn't realize when I requested it that it was part of a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed reading this and would definitely like to read the first two in the series..
Eleanor is a fake medium, but the whole villiage she lives in believes that she is a real witch. In fact the children tend to flock to her and follow her around waiting for her to do something witchy.. She uses her fake powers for good though. When her boyfriend Nicolas asks her to help a friend of his talk to their dead father and ask the location of missing treasure she couldn't pass it up.
Eleanor arrives at the Scottish castle and within a day weird things begin to happen.. While the family is telling Eleanor the story behind the missing treasure that is actually cursed..The power goes out, and cousin Otis shows up and scares the crap out of everyone..
People start dying and Eleanor is having visions.. It was non stop fom the beginning to the end.. and kept me sucked in.. The curse seems to be working against everyone.. or is it actually someone else behind it all trying to find the treasure for themselves.. I had no idea what what going to happen from one minute to the next and was surprised with the reveal at the end..

Tamara Berry continues to go from strength to strength in this third installment of her terrific paranormal cozy mystery series. Village witch Eleanor Wilde is looking forward to a nice sunny vacation in Malta with her wealthy beau Nicholas Hartford, when he surprises her with another tantalizing invitation instead. Seems that one of his school chums has a situation that requires a medium, and so he dangles the prospect of a free trip to the Scottish Hebrides for Eleanor -- or Madame Eleanor, as she’s known professionally -- to undertake. Far be it from our intrepid heroine to turn down such an opportunity, so she immediately packs her bags for the north.

Inauspiciously, Nicholas is called away on business right at the start, meaning that Eleanor must forgo the private plane he pilots in favor of taking a long train ride to her destination. Nicholas, with his usual blend of skepticism and support, assures her that traveling by train will give her plenty of time to prepare herself for what’s to come. What she isn’t prepared for is the sudden appearance of famed medium Birdie White, who plonks herself down in the seat right next to Eleanor on the train.

Birdie claims to have been summoned north by the spirit of Glenn Stewart, whose death set all this in motion. Turns out that the Stewart family has long been the steward of a treasure cursed back in the days of Elizabeth I. Glenn died without informing his heirs of the current whereabouts of the treasure, and so his children, Sid and Ashley, want a medium to help them contact him so they can make sure it’s properly safeguarded before the curse can strike again.

Thing is, Eleanor isn’t really a medium. She’s essentially a con artist, but figures that charging money for pacifying fears and ensuring peace of mind isn’t the most dishonorable profession, especially since she takes care to try to leave people in a better state than when she found them. Taking on the Stewart case is, for her, an exercise in treasure hunting under the theatrical guise of communing with the spirit world. Having a “real” medium on the scene, however, is throwing all her plans into disarray:

QUOTE
It’s not that I begrudge her this opportunity to show off; it’s that she’s doing it before I’ve had a chance. I’m not 100 percent sure of her game just yet, but there’s no denying that she’s trying to outplay me. Outplay me, outperform me, and out-psychic me.

The worst part is, she’s succeeding at it. I could almost curse Nicholas--yes, <i>curse</i> him--for foisting this job on me with all of twelve hours’ advance warning. There’s no denying that Birdie has done her homework. She knows about the Stewart family, about this house, about [the] curse… and about me.
END QUOTE

Birdie certainly acts the part of a genuine spirit channeler and, worse, is constantly getting in Eleanor’s way as she tries to investigate the missing treasure without giving up her ruse. Further adding to Eleanor’s chagrin is Birdie’s insistence that the curse has been responsible for not only Glenn’s demise, but also the deaths of many of the family’s loved ones. Eleanor believes that their job is to reassure survivors, not terrify them. But when the power goes out on the Stewarts’ remote island and someone is actually murdered, Eleanor not only finds herself at a loss for what to do next but in a vulnerable position to the one spirit that she actually can hear, her dead sister Winnie:

QUOTE
I open my mouth and close it again, unable to find the right words to bring Sid the comfort and confidence [needed]. Modesty isn’t a trait I normally wrestle with in moments like these, so it’s a new kind of struggle for me. I’ve always been more of a shrieking eel than a shrinking violet, slippery and vociferous about my psychic abilities, but something about this particular case has me feeling uneasy.

For the first time in my life, I don’t <i>want</i> to stand up on a table and mystify the room with my capabilities. Perhaps it’s seeing what Birdie looks like when she’s trying so hard to be profound, but it feels like something more, something deeper.

<i>Something real?</i> Winnie suggests.
END QUOTE

Eleanor’s continuing development as a real psychic is only one of the highlights of this thoroughly delightful cozy mystery. The perfect balance between skepticism and spiritualism is rivaled only by Tamara Berry’s ability to blend humor with pathos, as Eleanor seeks to (rationally) solve the case of the cursed treasure while trying not to freak out at the actual paranormal activity around her. She’s a wonderful protagonist whose charm continues unabated from the first two books, and I’m so very much looking forward to reading what she does next.

Reading about a fake medium is always fun, but this is taken to a new level with the addition of another medium, also possibly a fake. Getting trapped in an island castle with no power and deadly curse is no match for our heroine, though. Reading how Madame Eleanor get out of these situations is always amazing to me. Always a good read.

First book in the series for me and it was slightly weird but enjoyable. The characters were well crafted and the mystery was well done. The mystery kept me guessing which is what every well written mystery should do.

Wow, Wow, Wow! "Curses Are for Cads" by Tamara Berry is a light and humorous mystery novel and the third novel in the Eleanor Wilde mystery series. While it can be read as a standalone, this is definitely a series worth reading from the beginning just to enjoy the numerous shenanigans Eleanor manages to get herself into.

Eleanor is immediately likable from the first few pages. She's sassy, fiery, and has a flair for dramatizing her witchy abilities to either instill fear or comfort within her target audience. But even her wild performances are nothing in comparison to Birdie, another mystic sent to the same isolated island where it is believed a family's treasure has been cursed. The family's only hope for peace is to find the treasure and have the cursed removed by none other than Eleanor Wilde. This proves to be difficult with Birdie's desire for attention, an unfortunate power outage that cuts them off to the mainland, and a family with hidden secrets.

This was such a fun mystery novel to read! The setting was perfectly gloomy and gothic to match the theme of hunting missing treasure. Having two mediums compete for the family's attention while trying to constantly outdo one another was a perfect addition to a suspenseful and mysterious novel centered on a gruesome curse with drastic consequences. With these two mediums, there was no shortage of comic relief or suspenseful scenes that will have readers engrossed throughout the novel to find out what will happen next.

"Curses Are for Cads" is highly recommended for readers who enjoy light mysteries that can still be terrifying with a side of good humor. The expected publication date is October 27, 2020. Add it to your reading lists and Halloween reads!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review of "Curses Are for Cads" by Tamara Berry.

I have to admit that I accidentally requested this review book. It's book #3 in the Eleanor Wilde Mystery series. I am usually a book-series-must-be-read-in-order sort of person....so it was a departure for me to jump into a cozy series at book 3. While it did take me awhile to figure out the characters and their history....I did get sucked into the story and the humor pretty easily. And now I can backtrack and start at book 1!

The basics: Eleanor is a fake medium. She visits clients homes, and puts on a real performance of ridding them of whatever spirits or demons might be plaguing them. For a price. In the end, she justifies her fakery because the client's feel more secure with their homes evil spirts "exorcised' and she has the money she needs to live. Win-Win, right? This time, Eleanor and her boyfriend are asked to visit a castle to search for cursed gold.

The story definitely kept my attention from start to finish. The plot moved at a nice pace. There was lots of action, humor and twists to keep things moving. I like the characters and the premise. The story is just entertaining and fun! Perfect relaxing cozy read!

I'm definitely taking the time to go back and read this series starting at book one! This is the first book by Tamara Berry that I've read and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book!

**I voluntarily read this book from Kensington. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Madame Eleanor is a fraud, just ask her. Sure, she agrees to come to your home and exorcise whatever evil spirit is plaguing you; for a fee of course. The money is well spent, she leaves her clients relieved of their worries, the houses free of evil spirits, everyone more at ease. Only Madame Eleanor and her now boyfriend, Nicholas know that these results are the effect of some well timed electronic sounds, perhaps a well nailed board where there was once a loose step, that sort of thing.
How then, do you ask, does she justify charging people a fee for performing these mostly worldly tasks in what she sells as an “otherworldly” manner? She would say it’s because by carefully listening and understanding, prowling the premises to find the source of noise, other strictly mundane tasks, she gathers an understanding of her clients and the best way to alleviate their current sense of stress and fear.
What about her dead sister’s voice? You ask. She doesn’t have an explanation for that. She just knows that sometimes Winnie now speaks to her, when she least expects it, and sometimes offers good information. Of course, sometimes she offers caution, which Madame Eleanor, Ellie to her friends, ignores. How did this come about? For that you need to read the first book in the series.
In this, the third book in this delightfully quirky series, Madame Eleanor is offered the chance to find a hoard of cursed gold somewhere in an isolated castle, located in the oceans of the Hebrides. For this opportunity she gladly forgives her boyfriend for canceling their snorkeling trip to Malta. Of course, that’s before he is called to the Minister of Education and sends her on ahead via a train instead of his luxurious private plane. This is just the beginning of numerous unpleasant surprises in store for Madame Eleanor.
Once at the castle, she begins to suspect that the original owner died, not of a heart attack but was murdered. Between that and having another “medium” attach herself to Ellie on the train and accompany her on to the castle are just the start of her stumbling blocks. In a tale that includes missing luggage, two charming, rascal twin boys, a brother and sister who wholeheartedly believe in the existence of the gold and it’s “curse”, Ellie has almost more than she can handle. Good thing she really is as good as she thinks when it comes to ferreting out the truth, understanding others, and, just perhaps, in having a little help from “beyond” although she would be quick to question that.
The book itself is well written, quick paced, and wonderfully light entertainment. The story builds to a well-executed crescendo, which will have the readers staying up late, if not for the entire book, at least for the last few chapters. If you enjoy mysteries with a dash of humor and, maybe, a bit of the paranormal, then this is the series for you. While this mystery stands alone, this series is definitely one that is best enjoyed by starting at the beginning and reading the books in order. It gives you a chance to develop a greater understanding of Ellie’s relationships with some recurring characters.
I would like to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this novel. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Tamara Berry's Curses Are for Cads is the third book in her Eleanor Wilde Mystery series. I have fallen in love with this series from book one and simply can't get enough of Eleanor's shenanigans.

Ellie is the self proclaimed fake medium, who is really a masterful observer of people and can read them very well. When her boyfriend asks her to go to the remote island to help out his school friend, she doesn't hesitate, even though it means cancelling their trip to Malta. Talking to ghosts and looking for buried treasure don't come around every day.
On the journey and during her stay on the island, she will encounter many apparitions from this side of the realm and meet some good and some very bad characters, some will try to help her out but others will do anything in their power to stop her from completing her job.

Just like every other book, this one is bursting with the crazy, quirky and funny characters. They add so much flair to the stories and make them unique. They are so exaggerated they are almost caricatures of real people.

One of the things I like best in this series is that the author is constantly revealing "secrets" of the trade. She does it so wittily and charmingly you can't help but love her. It is my firm belief that in the next installments she will realize and admit to herself that she has the real power and use it properly.

I would like to see her relationship with Nick progress more and even though this is a light paranormal cozy mystery I don't think a bit of romance would hurt.

This is a very atmospheric book, with howling winds and crashing seas, dark rooms and evilness all around that is so easy for the reader to feel it to and be spooked.

All though this is not my favorite book in the series it is still great fun and I can't wait for the next installment.

Nick Hartford asks Eleanor Wilde to help a friend find the heirlooms her dead father hid. On her way to Airgead Island, Birdie White joins Eleanor on the train, explaining that Glenn Stewart, the dead man, wants her to come too.

This third Eleanor Wilde Mystery is an entertaining paranormal adventure as two mediums compete to find the heirlooms, a chest full of gold coins burdened by a curse from Gloriana.

Gathered at the castle, the two mediums, along with a few family members and servants, with their children, spend the next few days searching for the missing treasure. The two psychics try to outdo each other in the hunt until Eleanor finds Birdie dead in her bed.

A merry chase ensues as the group attempts to discover who killed Birdie and locate the treasure. And now, Birdie’s spirit is guiding Eleanor. Curses Are for Cads is a charming read with unusual characters, lots of misdirection, and a few surprises, all at a spritely pace.