Lying Season (Experiment in Terror #4) – A game changer

Synopsis:  Amateur ghost-hunter Perry Palomino has battled ghosts, fought off skinwalkers and skirted the fine line between life and death. But can she survive bunking down in Seattle for a week with her partner (and man she secretly loves) Dex and his perfect girlfriend, Jennifer? And can she do so while being tormented by a malicious spirit from Dex’s increasingly shady past? With love and life in the balance, Perry must discover the truth among the lies or risk losing everything she’s ever cared about.

Review:  I read the first three books back to back and then took a break.  It was a good break because returning to this one unveiled a whole new level of drama! Based on the synopsis, get prepared for a huge dose of awkwardness. We can finally put a face to the name for Dex’s girlfriend, and it was great seeing the layers gradually peel back on their relationship as the book progressed. It felt more real that way.  While I enjoyed the book,  a few revelations were pretty predictable, but I was glad to see them resolved.

Dex and Perry both experience a bit of growth in this one, even though the novel ends on a cliffhanger.  This series is considered horror, but character development is at the forefront this time around. Thankfully each book provides enough revelations to keep me coming back.  Often times when a book tries to do too much (ie: spending more focus on the book’s mystery rather than the overarching plot), I find it lacking.  Even though character relationships are probably the most important aspect, I prefer when it ties into the series storyline,  and I don’t want the revelations to feel like breadcrumbs.  Some ongoing series have a habit of doing that to the point of where I give up because there’s too much filler and not enough meat.

I really enjoyed the introduction of rival ghost hunters.  They were such tools. I kind of wish more happened there, but I also think we haven’t seen the last of them.  I do like this series for the horror and I found this book very enjoyable.  I honestly wasn’t bored for a second and I found myself laughing a bit too. Karina Halle does a great job with humor. I just wish there was more horror like Dead Morning Sky (book 3) where things were even scarier for me when some real life creepy things were happening while I was reading it.

This book is an absolute must read if you’re a fan of the series because things are never going to be the same from here on out. Halle has made it clear that she is not going to take the easy road for Dex and Perry, but that makes things all the more interesting.