REVIEW: Spirit and Dust By Rosemary Clement-Moore

Summary:
Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It's not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she's really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.

But helping the authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That's the real deal.

Before the promotion can go to Daisy's head, she's up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they're terrified. There's a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic - and Daisy - to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

Title: Spirit and Dust

Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore

Series: Goodnight Family- 2

Publisher: Corgi Childrens

Source: Goodreads giveaway: First Reads *Received in exchange for an honest review*

Date of Release: June 6th 2013

Pages: 384

Review:

When I read the first paragraph of this book, it was an instant love! The cover is awesome, it gives such a spiritual feel and the dark colours give off a presence of mystery and death.

After being raised in a family of witches and physics, Daisy Goodnight was always different from the rest. She doesn't deal with magic, but she does deal with the dead. Inheriting her aunt Diantha's spot on the FBI team, Daisy works with Agent Taylor to find out what really happened to those who had died on the scene, which enables them to track down the murderer. But during a strange encounter with a remnant, Daisy finds herself kidnapped and taken into custody by the daughter whom she is trying to find's father (sorry, tongue twister there), but due to their 'business' he does not want the FBI sticking in their noses where there not wanted. As Daisy tries to find the daughter of a mobster and keep her family and Agent Taylor as far away from the Maguires as possible, she must remember she is tied with a triple promise to find his daughter... things could get rather messy.

Daisy Goodnight has to be one of my favourite kick-ass-physic-working-for-the-FBI protagonist EVER. She is very sarcastic, of which we later learn she does mostly when she is either annoyed or afraid, which makes complete sense. She is also very funny with phrases like "Sweet Saint Frances of Rome", making light of a serious situation at times, but it seems to help. She is also very loyal, taking the decision to put herself into danger to keep her family and Agent Taylor out of trouble. She is very strong and never holds back her thoughts or punches, lets just say her favourite prop is a vase and to be more exact... very expensive vases. She also has a very short temper and regularly goes on quick rampages about different things when she is not getting the answers she needs, such as when talking to Carson, she goes on a little bit of a rampage. I also like her relationship with Agent Taylor with their silly names, such as "Jailbait" and "Agent Tasty", and coded phrases like "nothing but the rain".

Carson is a very secretive character and because of this it can get on your nerves a little, but in a good way (does that make sense?) It adds such a mystery to their situation and his actions you don't know whether to point the finger at him or not. Also with his stone cold expressions you never have a clue what he is thinking meaning his character does not evolve at all quickly leaving us most-of-the-time in the dark. But, he does have a heart under his cold outer shell and does care for Daisy so she does not come to any harm, he also goes to a great length so that the FBI don't see her otherwise Maguire will hurt them and her family.

This book, in ways, also taught you parts of history such as the Egyptians when on their trek to find the Black Jackel in the museums. The mystery was also cleverly planned, with the Brotherhood it added a great deal of urgency and danger to find Alexis, with dark and powerful magic twisted through giving a surprisingly strong presence. There is also a lot of action including "complicit in grand theft auto, and grand theft motorcycle, and art theft, and riding a motorcycle without a helmet." (Daisy's words, not mine! But I felt it explained it perfectly.) I also liked the idea that they used the remnants as power and the way Rosemary described the process, you easily understood what was happening and I felt I could almost see it vividly myself.

I highly recommend this book! It is the second in the series, I was told you could read them in any order due to there being different Goodnight members telling each story. The first book in the series is: Texas Gothic.