Gypsy Magic

Rating:
Summary: Gypsy Magic
Review: "Gypsy Magic" is one of the very best anthologies of its type to come along in a long while. Rebecca York, Ann Voss Peterson and Patricia Rosemoor tell three stories so seamlessly it's like reading one story in three parts.

Ten years earlier, a Gypsy was railroaded into a murder conviction. As revenge, his mother cursed the sons of the three men responsible. The three younger men have all felt the effects of the curse. Now, with the Gypsy scheduled to be executed, can they prove his innocence before it's too late?

The main couple in Rebecca York's "Alessandra," Wyatt Boudreaux and Alessandra King, were once in love. Then she learned his police chief father helped send her cousin to death row. They are reunited years later. They're still on opposite sides of the case, and now Wyatt is blind because of her aunt's curse. Garner Rousseau, the son of the DA who convicted the Gypsy youth, has also experienced the pain of the curse. In Ann Voss Peterson story, he joins together with another of the man's cousins, "Sabina" King. He knows his father wasn't always ethical. He doesn't know if he can open his heart to the beautiful Sabina. Patricia Rosemoor finishes the set in "Andrei." Can the title hero and the murdered woman's daughter find the killer before they become the next victims?

"Gypsy Magic" is the best of the Harlequin anthologies like this I've read. Others like "Night and Day" and "Final Approach to Forever" have had problems keeping the same voice for the characters with the authors? different writing styles. In "Gypsy Magic," the three authors do an excellent job matching their styles and voices to make the stories flow together. "Gypsy Magic" is so much better constructed than the earlier Intrigue anthology "Bayou Blood Brothers" I wish I could go back and lower my rating for that one. The stories are all equally strong and do a good job advancing the overall storyline while telling each couple's story. The authors don't miss a step dropping clues that will come in useful in another story. It takes skill for one author to pull a story like this off and keep everything straight, not to mention three.

"Gypsy Magic" is one of the best Intrigues this year.

Rating:
Summary: Gypsy Magic
Review: "Gypsy Magic" is one of the very best anthologies of its type to come along in a long while. Rebecca York, Ann Voss Peterson and Patricia Rosemoor tell three stories so seamlessly it's like reading one story in three parts.

Ten years earlier, a Gypsy was railroaded into a murder conviction. As revenge, his mother cursed the sons of the three men responsible. The three younger men have all felt the effects of the curse. Now, with the Gypsy scheduled to be executed, can they prove his innocence before it's too late?

The main couple in Rebecca York's "Alessandra," Wyatt Boudreaux and Alessandra King, were once in love. Then she learned his police chief father helped send her cousin to death row. They are reunited years later. They're still on opposite sides of the case, and now Wyatt is blind because of her aunt's curse. Garner Rousseau, the son of the DA who convicted the Gypsy youth, has also experienced the pain of the curse. In Ann Voss Peterson story, he joins together with another of the man's cousins, "Sabina" King. He knows his father wasn't always ethical. He doesn't know if he can open his heart to the beautiful Sabina. Patricia Rosemoor finishes the set in "Andrei." Can the title hero and the murdered woman's daughter find the killer before they become the next victims?

"Gypsy Magic" is the best of the Harlequin anthologies like this I've read. Others like "Night and Day" and "Final Approach to Forever" have had problems keeping the same voice for the characters with the authors? different writing styles. In "Gypsy Magic," the three authors do an excellent job matching their styles and voices to make the stories flow together. "Gypsy Magic" is so much better constructed than the earlier Intrigue anthology "Bayou Blood Brothers" I wish I could go back and lower my rating for that one. The stories are all equally strong and do a good job advancing the overall storyline while telling each couple's story. The authors don't miss a step dropping clues that will come in useful in another story. It takes skill for one author to pull a story like this off and keep everything straight, not to mention three.

"Gypsy Magic" is one of the best Intrigues this year.

Rating:
Summary: INTRIGUING - CAPTIVATING - ROMANCE?
Review: GYPSY MAGIC carries us through 3 couples stories following a Romny curse. "Justice is Blind" - the curse of Wyatt Boudreaux -- "Love is Death" - the curse of Garner Rousseau -- "The law is impotent" - the curse of Andrei Sobatka, one of their own.

Some of the gypsies had certain powers -- Valonia, the mother of Carlo cursed the sons of the men responsible for sending Carlo to prison for killing a gadje, Theresa Granville, the wife of the Mayer of Les Baux. Louisiana.

Carlo has spent 10 years on death row. Now his time is coming to an end.

Milo Vasilli, the owner of the carnival, has brought the troop back to Les Baux. Allessandra, adopted neice of Valonia, hopes to uncover new evidence to clear Carlo and end Valonia's despair. Her gift is she "sees" things.
She must approach Louis Boudreaux, only to find out that he has just died - she meets up with Wyatt, Louis's son and her one time lover only to find that he has been blinded five years before.
There are several attempts on hers and Wyatt's life as they make it known that they are trying to save Carlo. Someone wants to stop them and wants them dead.

Most Excellent mystery to follow - well written and coheasive -- follow this group.

Rating:
Summary: Solid Read with a Supernatural Slant
Review: I like these 3 part anthologies that Harlequin has been featuring in the past couple of years. Make great quick reads with satisfying twists and turns you don't usually see in this genre. The setting is the lush bayou country of Louisiana.Story centers on a travelling carnival and those who return to it year after year as well as the gypsy travellers who run it and live this modern nomadic life.

The storyline follows 3 gypsy cousins and the gadje ( outsiders) they are involved with who help them unravel the mystery of who really killed a local woman ten years earlier. A crime one of their own was convicted of and who now stands on death row about to be executed for.

His mother has cursed the sons of those who convicted her son- the lead detective, the prosecutor and the son of the fellow traveller who saw the convicted man earlier in the day and whose testimony was the nail in his coffin.

The curse : Justice is Blind, Love is Death and The Law is Impotent.

The first tale by Rebecca York focuses on Allessandra the gypsy whose gift is that of seeing the future-and with her abilities her blind lover can see too! They find the first clues in unravelling the mystery with creative use of her talents.

Second arc by Ann Voss Peterson -Sabina has the gift of healing and she heals the heart of her wounded warrior- son of the ambitious prosecutor who railroaded her cousin - who has lost everything he loves and holds dear.

Final part by Patricia Rosemoor- Andrei is a smooth talking half gypsy with gifts of telekinesis and the ability to know what women want...but the inability to do anything about it...poor guy he got the curse even viagra can't cure....He and the victims daughter finally crack the case and the curse.

The backstory with the gypsy travellers is interesting and different- does not show the darker side of the gypsy life including the cons and criminal activity associated with them that lead to the suspicion cast upon them that is referred to in this book.
I read this after seeing a great episode of Law and Order Criminal Intent that had a humdinger on the darker side of the gypsy world- but it and the book here both bring up some interesting aspects of the culture including the arranged marriages of children to bind clans together. This mystery offers a unique view into a little understood subculture that thrives to this day.

Kudos to Intrigue!

Strange recommendation I know- but if you want to see an interesting movie with the gypsy subculture rent Madonna's husband's Guy Richie's film SNATCH with Brad Pitt playing a modern gypsy con man in Britain. Beware- it is VIOLENT.

Rating:
Summary: AHHH! AT LAST - WE FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED!
Review: Valonia has cursed the sons of the men who railroaded her son, Carlo Mustov into prison for the murder of his lover, Theresa Granville.

Andrei Sobatka, one of their own, received the curse of "The law is impotent". [poor guy]
He is the cousin of Alessandra and Sabina King, and the product of marriage of a gypsy and an outsider. He has returned to the carnival to work for Milo Vasilli, he runs the Tilt-a-twirl [where he almost gets killed].
He has decided to help his cousins save Carlo and meets up, once again, with Elizabeth Granville, who had given herself to him ten years before.

Now he is hiding out with the carnival to hide his shame, figuring he could gain "Lizzie's" help, as he suspected her father of murdering his own wife.

Now they are in danger and another cousin, Tony has disappeared -- would the attempted murders never stop?

Running lose throughout the carnival is Milo's daughter, Florica, who confuses everyone with her childlike mentality.

Andrei and Elizabeth finally find the murder weapon with ten year old blood still on it. Elizabeth soon learns of Andrei's hidden powers and her own love for him is strengthened as the danger persists.

The cover is neat and representative of the men and the epilogue is great. [I always look forward to these]

Definitely recommended --M -- story moves great, especially through three authors. Just too much pm.s.[grin]

Rating:
Summary: MOST INTRIGUING - SOME ROMANCE
Review: Valonia, a gypsy, cursed the sons of the men who sent her son, Carlo Mustov to prison for killing his lover, Theresa Granville.

The curse for Garner Rousseax was "Love is death".

Sabina King, sister to Alessandra, has the gift of healing. After Wyatt ends up in the hospital, Sabina is determined to seek out Claude Rousseax, to enlist his help to clear Carlo, only to find that he has died. So she approaches his son, Garner.

Now they have become the target of a killer. It becomes more confusing as they eliminate the suspects. Leon Thibault, the district attorney, warned them that they should leave well enough alone - they had no new evidence.

Fascinating as we follow them through their troubles...

This book is definitely recommended -- follow these three couples as they try to save Carlo and definitely end up falling in love with a little hanky panky thrown in.