Holding Court

Not exactly the YA murder mystery I was looking for. But K.C. Held's "Holding Court" was still really good.

Less of a psychological drama than I had imagined. And more of a magical realism with a side of murder mystery (or maybe I was just sensitized to all of it because I forgot it was a magical realism and I was really focused on the romance...)

["Sixteen-year-old Jules Verity knows exactly what's in store at her new job at castle-turned-dinner-theater Tudor Times. Some extra cash, wearing a fancy-pants dress, and plenty of time to secretly drool over the ever-so-tasty--and completely unavailable--Grayson Chandler. Except that it's not quite what she imagined.

For one, the costume Jules has to wear is awful. Then there's the dead body she finds that just kind of...well, disappears. Oh, and there's the small issue of Jules and her episodes of what her best friend calls "Psychic Tourette's Syndrome"--spontaneous and uncontrollable outbursts of seemingly absurd prophecies.

The only bright side? This whole dead body thing seems to have gotten Grayson's attention. Except that the more Jules investigates, the more she discovers that Grayson's interest might not be as courtly as she thought. In fact, it's starting to look suspicious..."]

The magical realism (The Psychic Tourette's Syndrome) was actually really great addition. I wanted to write down every random Psychic quote, but didn't realize that I should until I was half-way through the novel (so do that, it will make it even better). Her little blurts were like the climax in "Murder, She Wrote" or "Columbo" or "Diagnosis Murder" (so carefully orchestrated and seemingly insignificant but totally critical to the plot/resolution).

Spoiler Alert, they did catch the killer, but only after a few near-death-experiences (and an extra murder or two). And the romance had a totally-saw-that-coming resolution AND a holy-shit-didn't-see-that-coming resolution, which was a very fantastic touch.

Off to read a novel that I know it a ya, psychological drama. But I'm not sure if it's a romance (I'll keep you updated).

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