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Nikki Broadwell
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Murder in Plain Sight: a Summer McCloud paranormal mystery Kindle Edition

by Nikki Broadwell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 out of 5 stars 30 ratings
Like Stephanie Plum?

Just add ghosts and stir!

Summer is an amateur sleuth with the hots for a cop on the local police force. And Jerry is on her trail, but not because he wants her body.

Summer is a suspect in a murder investigation.

When Summer dons a wig and sunglasses and disappears, her best friend, Agnes, is worried--will Summer end up being another victim?

Meanwhile Jerry is seen on the news asking her to turn herself in.

Will she heed his warning?

Find out in this fast-paced sexy and humorous thriller by picking up a copy now.

Note to readers: If you are a stickler for police procedures or read a lot of hard-boiled murder mysteries, this might not be the book for you!
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  1. Book 1 of 6
    Summer McCloud paranormal mystery
  2. Print length
    289 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    August 12, 2015
  5. File size
    2.4 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 6 books in this series.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Already a fan of Broadwell's work, I went into this book with rather high expectations...and wasn't disappointed! Murder in Plain Sight is such a fun, twisted tale that I had a hard time putting the book down. Although the book did seem to jump a bit in places, I thought it was well-written and paced just right; leading the reader down one false trail after another, always leaving you guessing. The book is chock full of mystery, intrigue, corruption, and revenge, as well as paranormal visions and entities. You find yourself truly embracing Summer and hoping against hope that she'll be able to unravel this mystery and right her life once more, but you know the odds are stacked against her and multiplying by the hour! From cozy hometown settings to the possibility of gruesome torture, this book has everything one could possibly want in a paranormal mystery. Highly recommended!

From the Author

This is my first foray into the world of murder mystery. Adding in the paranormal element made the story more interesting for me. Seeing ghosts in Summer's specialty, but her detective boyfriend is not always happy about this. If you are a stickler for police procedure, you may not be interested, since this book is more humorous than a true to life gritty murder mystery in the old style. The two main characters follow through into the second in the series, Saffron and Seaweed and continue in the next one, Black and White and Red all Over.And now there is a fourth which takes place partly in Scotland--look to be dazzled as Summer confronts her distant past in Finley's Folly!! Fifth is in the works--look for Akumal Alibi in late summer!Summer is an amateur sleuth and Jerry, her boyfriend, is a detective on the local police force. Their relationship is spicy, and at times, volatile. 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B013VKERKE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Airmid Publishing
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 12, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.4 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 289 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 6 ‏ : ‎ Summer McCloud paranormal mystery
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 30 ratings

About the author

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Nikki Broadwell

Nikki Broadwell

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Welcome readers!!! Please browse!

Nikki Broadwell is the author of three series that take place in or around Scotland and featuring the Celtic and Norse pantheon of gods and goddesses as well as fantastical and mystical settings and beings. Look for: Wolfmoon series, 3 book series beginning with The Hanged Man, and 4 books of Raven and Hummingbird series.

Her themes are the natural world, feminine power, romantic entanglements, and the fight between good and evil.

If you enjoy futuristic, apocalyptic, goddess driven fantasy, time travel and/or paranormal mystery you have come to the right place.

After giving up a successful silk-painting business, Nikki has been writing full time since the early 2000's. And although the cash flowing in from the books is decidedly less, her interest continues.

Nikki and her husband of over thirty years, a standard poodle and a cat, now live in Newberg, Oregon. When not writing Nikki hikes in any forest she can find, does yoga and explores the many wonderful sites in Oregon.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
30 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's characters interesting. The writing style receives mixed reactions, with some customers finding it great and fun to read, while others disagree.

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3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book.

"...The characters are all well drawn, with the principal ones being painted in sufficient and yet never overworked colour...." Read more

"...Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of...." Read more

"...Very easy to read, plots easy to follow, interesting characters, all literate, intelligent people who are just trying to "get through" this..." Read more

9 customers mention "Writing style"6 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it great and fun to read, while another customer describes the story as feeling like a cartoon.

"...To sum up, this is a case of great writing that within the tight confines of each chapter is very entertaining, and yet somehow the end result does..." Read more

"...I love the pace, don't misunderstand me, in fact I really enjoyed the first 50 pages. The pace was not my issue with this book...." Read more

"...A very well written mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment...." Read more

"...Very easy to read, plots easy to follow, interesting characters, all literate, intelligent people who are just trying to "get through" this..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Mr. Richard Lw Bunning
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unnatural Causes and Paranormal Clauses.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    First off- this is a five star book that sits somewhere in the ground between murder mystery and paranormal genres. I don't think it quite manages the bridge, though I'm sure that plenty of readers will disagree. The book is clearly marketed as paranormal mystery, so it isn't like anyone should be surprised by the ground covered. However, the book starts a long way from paranormal, in a sort of commercial backstreet of hazy time passed town. Then suddenly, we are in a world of crazies, where the strongest characters are all walking dead or missing.
    My view is that Broadwell would have done better by plotting the book firmly on one side or the other of the murder mystery-paranormal trench. Perhaps my view is fatuous, based too much on taste, so enough of that. As to the quality and the style of the writing, they are both top-drawer, as they always are with Nikki Broadwell's books.
    This plot starts with a whimsical backwater charm, in which the 'witchcraft' is really more to do with a world of herbs and spices and mental illusion, centred in the whimsical behaviours of eccentric dreamers, rather than in paranormal genre characters that are conjured out of evil. The ghosts, when we eventually forced into seeing them as such, seem to be more interesting constructions than many of the living.
    I enjoyed reading Murder in Plain Sight, even if I really believe that it would have been better plotted as a plain whodunit, with realistic characters that merely play in a world of potions, candles, and woodland exhibitionism. The plots drift into otherworld environs where real paranormal abilities abound is hard to reconcile.
    The characters are all well drawn, with the principal ones being painted in sufficient and yet never overworked colour. The settings are made visual and some of the inconsistencies in the plot can be explained away by drawing on the paranormal. That Summer seemed to struggle to remember exactly what her mother looks like, or even to be aware of the existence of others so physically close to her is certainly worrying, unless one mentally rewrites early events in the book. Necessary reappraisal in the light of change is reasonable, especially in murder mystery; however it mustn't jar with previous information. Or one can do as I did and simply believe that Summer suffered a severe case of aphantasia.
    To sum up, this is a case of great writing that within the tight confines of each chapter is very entertaining, and yet somehow the end result doesn't quite all fit together. I am really looking forward to reading other reviews as I'm sure that opinion will vary widely. This would be a great book club read as I'm sure it would generate plenty of debate.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Michael Thal
    4.0 out of 5 stars Paranormal Murder Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Summer McCloud runs a successful occult shop, Tarot and Tea, in peaceful small town Ames, Connecticut. The serenity of the village is suddenly broken when the body of a woman is discovered near a river, and the only clue to her murder is a book of poison recipes purchased at Tarot and Tea.

    Summer soon learns that the dead woman, Serena Weatherby, was actually a friend of Lila’s, Summer’s mother who had disappeared five years ago and had been assumed dead. Summer’s boyfriend, Jerry Brady, an Ames detective, lets her know that she is the number one suspect, so Summer goes underground to find the murderer and uncover if Serena’s death is somehow connected to Lila’s disappearance.

    Murder in Plain Sight has paranormal elements to it. Summer has the power to see visions that helps the amateur sleuth piece bits of clues together as she helps Jerry solve the case before the murderer’s next victim is she.

    I did find a few of the plot twists confusing, especially when ghosts were introduced that appeared like normal people, even paying for items with money. I thought ghosts couldn’t interact with humans in this way.

    Be as it may, the novel is fast paced and a fun read.
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  • bridgit
    3.0 out of 5 stars Quick easy imperfect read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2020
    This cosy mystery had some continuity problems and they were not all a deliberate result of the supernatural. My copy of the book also had a few typos. These drawbacks were not too intrusive for a quick easy otherworldly read.
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  • Cliente Amazon
    2.0 out of 5 stars A paranormal mystery novel
    Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This story starts with a murder connected to Summer, our heroine, that makes her run away, introducing the reader to an old mysterious disappearance, involving magic, ambiguous felonies, and more murders.
    Everything happens very fast in this paranormal mystery, and I love the pace, don't misunderstand me, in fact I really enjoyed the first 50 pages. The pace was not my issue with this book.

    My main problem with this one was the incoherence of the story, the inconsistencies.
    I don't want to spoil nothing so I'm not giving examples but, sadly, this book has a few nonsenses, like incongruous conclusions and really wrong judgements, ironically coming the most from a cop (our heroine's boyfriend is a cop, a terrible one, if you ask me).

    Every time I was enjoying the story and wanting to know what was going to happen, someone jumped to a ridiculous conclusion and kicked me off the book completely.

    Maybe I didn't enjoy this one because I have read lots of mystery books in my life and I am a very picky with them. I don't know. I just know it wasn't for me.

    I love the suspense, the way this kind of novels makes me think and has me constantly guessing and on the edge of my chair (or sofa, or bed).
    I want them to be difficult, to make me struggle to know what is happening and who did what.

    In my modest opinion, in mystery, is equally important the conclusion and the way you come to this conclusion. I think this is exactly the charm mystery books has, and what "Murder in plain sight" lacks.

    I hate to give bad reviews but this book was not for me, and it's really a shame because the premise seemed very attractive, and I usually enjoy paranormal mystery.
    If you are not as used as I am to mystery books maybe you could love this story.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Shelly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Can't wait to see what happens next. Great characters real. I loved the supernatural element. It was longer and more involved than normal which I liked.
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  • Noma M
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Cozy!
    Reviewed in Canada on September 12, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Warning: This is a cozy mystery. This genre is an acquired taste.
    In terms of getting into cozy mysteries Murder in Plain Sight is a good place to start. It has all the ingredients of a good mystery novel. The characters are challenging and have important interesting backstories that are revealed in interesting ways.
    The novel is engaging in that there is a web of connectedness in all the characters that we are introduced to throughout the story.  Murder in Plain Sight is told from the perspective of Summer McCloud and she is a person of interest in the murder of Serena Weatherby, who was also a friend and in a bigamous relationship with Summer’s mother, Lila McCloud, and Douglas Weatherby.  Serena had been married to Douglas’ brother, Jonathan Weatherby. And Summer has a friend, Agnes, who we find out is the secret child of Serena and Douglas and her given name before the adoption had been Merrily Weatherby. And Lila has a sister, Vivienne who had had(behind Lila’s back) and still has a relationship with Frank Messer and Frank Messer is Summer’s biological father. We have Randal and Randal is Summer’s half-brother and Ephraim, who is Randal’s biological father. Jerry is Summer’s on and off boyfriend and his father is responsible for the wrongful conviction of Frank Messer. It seems like the characters know each other or know of each other and they are all connected to Summer.
    Summer brings a fascinating quality to the investigation, first of all, she is a psychic, and she brings a different perspective from Jerry, who is a homicide detective and deals in facts. Since everything we learn about the characters in the book is from Summer’s POV, we really don’t have more insight of their thoughts and feelings. With that said, you might get the impression that Jerry is an incompetent detective but I think he is in a tight spot. Summer is his girlfriend and her visions may be helpful in acquiring new leads in the investigation but his obligations do not permit him to disclose any classified information to Summer and at the same time, he is trying to maintain his relationship with her. That plays into this plot quite a bit. I like how Summer’s visions are handled throughout the book, certain parts are morbid and certain parts are informative enough to keep the wrench up about who the killer is. And we the readers are implicated on some level and we are made to participate in solving the mystery
    There is a real darkness in the novel that Nikki Broadwell explores occasionally in a hasty manner. If you pay attention the novel touches on Pedophilia, sex, promiscuity, police corruption, mental health on profound levels only in a way a cozy mystery can. It is done so masterfully that you can barely see it and anything that is suggested you just have to let your imagination fill in the blanks. It is quite terrifying and unsettling.
    I like that almost every suspect/victim has a practical motive for murder. There are two significant deaths/murders in the story that the plot hinges on, first is Lila McCloud, who disappeared five years earlier and then Serena, whose body is found in the same spot that Lila’s clothes were found. When Serena dies, in her Will she puts Lila as a second beneficiary. If her biological daughter is not found and since Lila’s body hasn’t been discovered and through Jerry we know she has filed a wrongful conviction suit against the police department, there is reason to believe that she might have faked her death. And if both Serena’s daughter and Lila die, Randal, is to inherit everything so he becomes a viable suspect in her death. The revelation that Serena Weatherby was a notorious deadly killer, a black widow, who claimed to have murdered her wealthy husbands because they were degenerates, is suspect, who is to say that she wasn’t motivated by money. And we know at some point Lila McCloud wanted to discontinue aiding Serena in her killing spree. It immediately raises the question that she might have been responsible for Lila’s death.
    As layers of the plot slowly and painstakingly peel away, between Summer being blackmailed,  Jerry getting shot, Ephraim, Randal’s father claiming to be a Weatherby, speculation on the validity that Ephraim might have killed Serena to avenge Jonathan Weatherby all translates to Randal’s signals of mental agility that are  related to his mental illness. He is a psychopath and even from childhood as Summer recalls, he exhibits violent tendencies. Nikki Broadwell takes the connection between mental illness and crime to the extreme but it’s plausible. And the idea that a parent would conceal or assist their child in perpetrating a crime is not so far-fetched. Summer’s family is a disjointed thing in the novel. Summer might have been too young to be affected but Lila’s lifestyle did not fit with motherhood, sleeping with random men and exposing her children to it helped to change Randal’s perspectives on women so he took out his revenge on innocent women who resembled his mother, that, coupled with his existing mental illness.
    The budding relationship between Jerry and Summer is threatened by secrets. It becomes more of a challenge for Jerry to continue this relationship knowing what he knows. Clearly, his mother does not approve and tries to keep Jerry in her back pocket to sabotage this relationship. I kind of understand where she is coming from because of surrounding circumstances so now Jerry is torn between his family, his professional obligations and his feelings for Summer. I would imagine that his choice to continue his relationship with her would not have been easy.
    With Randal and Ephraim dead, the question still remains, who killed Serena and Lila? And Summer is depressed after her near death experience from the father and son duo. With the disclosure of a fully equipped apartment on the second floor of her shop by the pest control guy and the discovery of Lila and Frank Messer had been living there all along, would they finally solve the mystery of who killed Serena?
    A brilliant read. I loved the novel.Highly recommended for Christie Agatha fans or if you love the TV show Murder she wrote.
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  • Julie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Read this series
    Reviewed in Canada on March 19, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Great start to a series got the next one already and lots more to come Great mix of mystery romance and supernatural
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