Adam Martin Swope was driven out of his beloved Chicago by his self-created but ill-advised celebrity status as a "finder." To avoid the emotional turmoil taking a toll on his psyche, he fled to Cancun, Mexico. Forced back to the United States by the resurgence of his mother's cancer, he decided to take a job as columnist for the Tweet; the newspaper purchased by his long-time friend Larry Archibald in the small West Virginia town of Canary Corners. He moved into the Canary House, an apartment house reputed to have resident ghosts. His next door neighbor Livinia Blossom told him the story of Canary House and introduced him to her grandniece, Marti, who quickly became his semi-constant companion. What Adam didn't realize was how soon his investigative and finder skills would be called into play to solve a murder. He was also unaware of how much assistance his dog Bagel, and the clues he provided, would be during the investigation.

This is how the author describes his book.  He has created a very believable world populated with sympathetic characters. The stress Adam goes through on a “finder” mission is easily felt. The dialog is well balanced with action. The narration is kept to a minimum and there is little head hopping. 
This murder mystery is at the top of its game so I give this 5/5 stars. There are more books in the series so you can expect hours of delicious reading pleasure!

@EdwardJCoburn

​http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Airplane-Adam-Bagel-Book-ebook/dp/B009KSXOE2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1444008382&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dog+who+ate+the+airplane

​http://edwardjcoburn.com/ 
​Copyright © 2015 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction  

"Kyra has always been drawn to the magic of spellpages. She is determined to leave her small village far behind and become a scribe, wielding the power of magic through her pen. Halfway through her training, she has a mage as patron and her ambitions are within her grasp. But a simple favour for her sister goes disastrously awry, destroying Kyra's dreams in an instant. 
    Devastated, she accepts an offer from a stranger to help her find out what went wrong. The young man sees growing power within Kyra, potentially stronger than spellpages or any living mage. The answers to unlocking that power may lie within the glowing walls of the Imperial City, but its magic is strong and the unwary vanish without trace on its streets. Thirsty for knowledge and desperate to avoid another accident, she feels compelled to risk it. 
    While she focuses on controlling her abilities, a storm of greed and ambition boils up around her. Kyra is a pawn in the struggle for dominance between unscrupulous factions vying for rule of her country. Trusting the wrong side could get her killed--or worse, the potent magic she barely understands could be put to unthinkable evil."

This is how the author describes “Fire Mages”, the 2nd volume in the Brightmoon Annals. She has created a world of magic that is effortless to believe. Her writing is smooth, the action and dialogue are well balanced.  There are hints that technology may be involved, and the romance seems very natural. Kyra is a young woman who has a plan; she is simple and forceful, determined to see the fulfillment of her desires.
The book is well written, the pacing and structure is excellent. The twists and turns of the plot kept me on the edge of my chair! This is such an enjoyable book, I am glad there is more to the series and you will be glad  also!
One caution, the author is from Scotland and uses a few words in ways most Americans will not be accustomed to.

This book gets 5/5 stars!
https://twitter.com/PaulineMRoss
​http://paulinemross.co.uk/
​http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXSSEHE?tag=pausepifanwor-20 
​Copyright © 2015 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction