"The House that Vanity Built" By Nancy Cole Silverman: Review/Giveaway

by Cynthia Chow

Details on how to win a copy of this book at the end of the review and links to purchase it.

Once the Hollywood Psychic to the Stars, Misty Dawn has established her reputation counseling celebrities, presidents, and official law enforcement as a clairvoyant with a gifted sixth sense. Misty has counseled the FBI and LAPD on finding lost people but not lost items, which is why she initially rejects Amy Henderson’s plea to find her lost engagement ring. With her wedding to wealthy Conroy Cosmetics heir Jared Conroy less than a week away, Amy is desperate to find her fiancé’s heirloom ring.

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Image Source Henery Press

Misty’s resident spirit guide, the former set designer and formerly living Wilson Thorne, expresses an uncharacteristic interest in helping the prospective bride and that’s more than enough to sway Misty over to the case. The brother of Misty’s landlady and stuck between two worlds, his afterlife direction still yet to be determined, and Misty hopes to encourage Wilson’s path upwards. Before they can get started, Amy is again at their door, devastated that Jared died the night before from an allergic reaction at his bachelor party. Even more distressing is her not-quite-father-in-law’s request that Amy help plan Jared’ funeral, not to mention Dr. Conroy’s assertion that his son was murdered.

While Misty would like to write off the accusation as an emotional outburst from an emotional father, his prominence at the ostentatious Conroy Estate forces the police to look into the matter. In this case Misty’s intuition happens to agree with the owner of the House that Vanity built, but unfamiliar Detective Williams is far less trusting that Jared’s death wasn’t just a tragic accident caused by a faulty EpiPen. Complicating matters are the two “luminaries” haunting the Conroy parlor, mischievous spirits able to sway beings and especially Wilson into following their wishes. That Dr. Conroy’s late wife and deceased mistress are spending eternity together is cause for concern, although Misty worries more that they might take Wilson down the wrong path. Even more vulnerable is poor naïve Amy, who seems to be swallowed up by intimidating estate and the domineering patriarch.

Guided by her intuition, but even more by her intelligence and clever wit, Misty creatively and uniquely brings resolution to this second of the series. Wilson’s fascination with the Conroy Estate has him fully invested in unraveling the mystery, although Misty is alarmed by his interest in the luminaries and their teachings.

What readers will enjoy most is Misty’s skill at cutting through suspects’ pretenses and quickly deciphering their true motivations. It doesn’t take long to figure out the secret Amy is hiding, her friend’s financial incentives, or that something is very shady going on in the Beverly Park mansion. Wilson serves as a whimsical spy amidst the possible killers, and while his attention span is limited, his taste in design is impeccable. Chauffeuring Misty around in the Rolls Royce his sister inherited, Wilson refuses to give over the wheel to his beloved automobile despite the awkward appearance it makes.

Misty continues to be a sharp investigator and very likable clairvoyant, and the designer-obsessed Wilson reveals that he is more than dynamic and complex than he pretends to be. Unique plot twists and an exciting conclusion ensures that this mix of paranormal and practical mystery novel will delight a vast array of readers.

Check out other Henery Press mysteries on their website.

A mystery short story by Nancy was featured in Mysteryrat's Maze first ever podcast 2 years ago! You can find the link here or listen with the player below.


To enter to win a copy of The House that Vanity Built, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "vanity,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 27, 2020. U.S. residents only and you must be at least 18 to enter. If entering via comment please include your email address. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, we will not use your address for any other reason. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast featuring mystery short stories and first chapters read by actors. A new episode went up last week featuring the first chapter of a Maddie Day book!

You can use these links to purchase the book. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

The House That Vanity Built

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.