This book was so much fun and sometimes you need a book that’s a real tonic and takes you away from real life. I will definitely look for the authors other work. I thought it read well and was so relaxing to read.

The Accidental Medium by Tracy Whitwell is a delightful read and everything I hoped it would be. The story follows Tanz, a Geordie, wine loving, shrivelled up actress who takes up a part time job working the till at a witchy shop called ‘The Mystery Pot’.

Tanz can speak/hear the dead and through the help of her teacher and friend, Sheila, Tanz begins to flourish in her craft. Tanz tries a number of different techniques throughout this journey, including tarot, but, she mainly focuses on her natural psychic abilities. It is through both the shop ‘The Mystery Pot’ and through her own abilities that Tanz learns something she cannot ignore. Once a strange couple appear at the shop the screaming begins, screaming that cannot be ignored.
Tracy Whitwell has a very charismatic writing style which makes you feel, as a reader, that the characters are talking to you directly. The whole atmosphere of the novel is like sitting in the garden with your best friend, drinking a glass of wine, and talking long into the night. It is fun, quirky and hilariously funny. I was hooked on Tracy Whitwell’s writing style, however, I do feel as though it needed a little something extra.

Tanz is a very likeable character, and after having a slump of reading books where the main characters were so dull and unlikeable, this book was like a breath of fresh air. Tanz is fun, flirty, and above all, normal. Yes, she was an actress but, she was normal. Her occupation did not define her as a person or make up the entirety of her personality which is often too common in novels of this nature.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick and quirky read! If you’re interested in supernatural abilities/witchy vibes then try and add this to the reading list and let me know what you think!

I love love loved this book!!!!
I originally gave this book 4* but the more time has passed since reading, the more I can't stop thinking about this book. So given it the full 5*!

It was so much fun and I adored the main character of Tanz! I love that she was an out of work actor - so could relate a lot. I loved her sense of humour, and also loved the spiritual aspect too.
Tracy Whitwell's writing was so cosy and comforting and I really hope there are other books in this series!!
Thoroughly recommend!

A quick, easy, fun and quirky read that I really enjoyed. The pacing and flow was good and kept me engaged the whole way through.

Another Realm..,
When messages begin arriving from another realm, Tanz really doesn’t know what to make of them until she confides in her mother. It seems that she is from a long line of psychic mediums. Alarmed or not, Tanz can see a new life ahead of her - that is, until murder rears its ugly head and chaos ensues. Can Tanz really be a psychic and an amateur sleuth? A fun and frothy read with a well drawn cast, a pacy narrative and a bit of mystery thrown in.

This is just pure fun escapist reading. As others have mentioned, there is a definite Bridget Jones vibe about this. As an Australian, there are certain UK words used that were unknown to me and I needed to Google them, but once I got into the flow of the language it was a quick and quirky read. While there wasn't as much of a crime element to this as I expected, the first book in a series is often building up the backgrounds of the characters, so I look forward to the next one.

How to sum up a book in three words - that was fun! I whipped through this in a couple of days, enjoying the light hearted approach and humour involved when our protagonist begins to embrace her skills as a medium. Some romance, a little danger and a good dollop of humour ensures I’d recommend this if you’re looking for a holiday read or even something to just while away the time.

The Accidental Medium
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Tracy Whitwell
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: 21 Jul 2022

This book was 'ok' and I wish it had more that I liked. I found it very slow to start and it felt like every step the FMC did as part of a routine was written in so much detail when it didn't need to be (how she woke up, what she wears and why etc) and it seems to go off on tangents and jumps from one thing to another, like everything needs to be introduced straight away rather than organically throughout the book.

It almost reminds me a bit of Bridget Jones and how she writes in her diary, except this, as far as I can tell, isn't written as diary entries. It stopped me becoming engaged and staying interested.

It felt a little rushed in some places and what I thought was going to be the main plot/storyline didn't really come into play until quite late.

I can see why some people would like this book. It's not something that needs a lot of concentration in order to keep up with what's going on and there's some fun and witty banter between friends but overall it just didn't have enough 'oomph' to keep me interested.

*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers @panmacmillan for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Tanz is living in London and still grieving her friend Frank, who died in a car crash three years ago. As acting jobs dry up, she has to find a normal job to fund her cocktail habit. When she starts work in a new age shop, Tanz discovers that the voices she's hearing in her head are possibly real psychic messages, not the first signs of schizophrenia. Alarmed, she confronts her little mam and discovers she is from a long line of psychic mediums. Despite a whole exciting new avenue of life opening up to Tanz, darkness isn't far away and all too soon there's murder in the air. In book two, after her fast paced introduction to the world of clairvoyance, Tanz is hiding in bed, having nightmares about a suicidal psychopath, drinking red wine, irritating her cat and waiting to be evicted. Life as she knew it seven months ago has turned on its head and only the prospect of a new TV job in Newcastle and a month with her best friend Milo can help pick her up off the floor. But when she gets home, the Newcastle of more than a century before decides to haunt her bringing all kinds of spooks and horrors with it

Tanz is a cocktail drinking, straight talking, Geordie actress, with a talent for swearing. She is an absolute breath of fresh air. Within pages she felt like my long lost friend and I was mentally inviting her to my fantasy dinner party (alongside Mr. Tumnus, Ruth Galloway, Sugar from The Crimson Petal and the White, Jo March, and Vianne Rocher).

I read both this and it’s follow up, The Gin Palace, in a weekend and have been left longing for more. The story begins as Tanz is working at a new age shop, between acting jobs. She has made friends with one of the ‘readers’ in the shop, but is starting to have an inkling that her own family might have their own gift. Her Mam seems to have prophetic dreams, but doesn’t make a big thing of it even though her grandmother was a Romany. Tanz had started hearing voices, but wondered if it was a symptom of grief following the sudden death of her friend Frank three years before. She even starts to worry if she could he schizophrenic. Luckily she has a great mentor at hand - Sheila is another reader at the shop, an older woman with years of experience in this strange world of mediumship. She describes Tanz as a ‘natural’ and her strong reaction to an odd couple who visit the shop seems to set them on an investigative path. Sheila is vital to Tanz and their friendship grows as the mystery becomes disturbing and dangerous. What are this strange couple hiding and why is Tanz hearing a woman wailing every time they’re near? Despite being terrified Tanz and Sheila let their spirit guides lead them towards the answers and into danger.

I loved both of these books for their characters and the company of Tanz. I loved her Mam and Dad, who are traditional Northerners through and through. They were very like my parents - always half way down a brew, have tea at 5pm and seemingly happy to just potter along at home together. Tanz’s dad has his shed to tinker in, but her ‘little Mam is always there with some very down to earth and wise advice. I love how Whitwell presents mediumship and it’s effects on the practitioner. Sheila teaches Tanz how to protect herself against certain types of spirits, but there are still times when she is terrified by what transpires in her own mind and in front of her. Her nightmares affect her sleep, she feels unnerved and often wonders if her gift is worth it. It’s great if it helps someone, but otherwise it’s very inconvenient and not making her any money. It made me think of taking a counselling session, it can be exhausting and the counsellor needs a self-care regime in place to replenish their reserves. I enjoyed Tanz’s loyalty, not just to her close friends, but to those people she picks up along the way and even those from the spirit world who need release. Her bravery in confronting the scarier paranormal events, while being absolutely terrified, is endearing. By the second book she is starting to trust her powers a little, to understand the strength of her gift and her guides. These books are fresh, modern and comfortingly Northern. The mix of gothic and supernatural subjects, with this down to earth, 21st Century heroine is different and such great fun. Tanz is a woman you’d like to go for a few cocktails with and the mingling of her familiar worldly worries and her other worldly gift is irresistible.

A wholesome read; struggling actress Tanz picks up at a part time job as the receptionist of a witch shop - and is shocked to learn that the voices she has heard in her head are based off of more than just instinct. When a young woman appears in her head screaming for help, she knows she must act.

This was a nice read. The characterisation of the Tanz and a few of those surrounding her (particularly Sheila) was vivid and consistent, and it was humorous / lighthearted. It’s not exactly a super profound book which is totally okay, moreso the sort of thing you’d read on a beach.

The murder mystery element is definitely overstated in the synopsis - it only really holds any prominence for the last 25% or so of the book. As a result of this, the climax and the conclusion of the book felt somewhat rushed - which was a shame in comparison to what was, for the most part, an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Absolutely brilliant. Laugh out loud funny with a serious twist. I loved it and completely fell in love with the characters, I feel quite bereft now I have finished. I hope this is going to be a series

This really tickled me, a cosy crime novel with a very cheeky sense of humour. There’s also a nice build up of suspense and action as the storyline develops.
It always makes me happy when I find out about an author who has kickstarted their career and then been picked up by a mainstream publisher. Especially when the book is as entertaining as this one, I’m really looking forward to reading more about Tanz. She’s such a down to earth and likeable character, and I love the friendships that she develops, both old and new.
This was very difficult to put down and I blame it for my sofa based Sunday, just one more chapter….

I was a little confused at the publishing schedule with this one but the timing of the hardback was great, it felt like an impulse read as wasn't expecting to get to it for another month or so.