I'm pleased to welcome Kris Bock to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Kris writes the Reluctant Psychic Mystery series. DEATH AT ROCK BOTTOM is the second book in the series and was released last month.
Psychic Powers in a Mystery Novel with Kris Bock
For the Reluctant Psychic Mystery series, I gave the main character, Petra, the psychic power of psychometry. That means she can touch an object and receive impressions about the person or people who held it previously. An author can choose how to portray a character with psychic powers, and few readers are going to claim, “That’s not how it really works,” since to most of us, it’s a speculative element.
In GRAVE RESERVATIONS by Cherie Priest, her heroine has psychometry but must concentrate for a minute or two in order to get anything from an object. It’s a skill she can use, or not, as she chooses. In my series, Petra’s psychometry is constant and out of her control. She never knows what images or feelings she might receive from touching a random object. The visions can come on hard and overwhelm her.
“Her psychic ability isn’t some glamorous superpower—it’s a burden. The way Bock describes her exhaustion from touching objects, the way she braces herself before every handshake, the way she longs for silence but is constantly bombarded by echoes of violence… I’ve never read a psychic protagonist who felt this real.” – Lauren Marks on GoodReads.
This has affected every aspect of her life. She studied geology, because rocks and minerals usually don’t hold psychic emanations. (The exceptions would be things like a worry rock a person kept in their pocket – or a rock used as a weapon, as in book one, A STONE COLD MURDER.)
“Petra’s psychometry is such a fresh take on psychic abilities. It’s not about predicting the future—it’s about being drowned in the past. The scene where she touches the fluorite crystal and is flooded with the victim’s terror? I had chills. Bock doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of this ‘gift’—the way it isolates Petra, the way it makes her question every interaction. It’s brilliant character work.” – Lesa Ruby on GoodReads.
Petra doesn’t have friends, because she doesn’t feel right learning things about people without their knowledge and permission. Yet she doesn’t want to tell people about her gift too quickly, for fear they’ll either think she’s crazy or want her to use it on their behalf, something that destroyed several relationships with family and friends in the past. She has many pets – cats, ferrets, rats, and guinea pigs – because she craves connections and affection, which she can’t get from other humans.
Or can she? When she moves to New Mexico to start a job at a quirky museum in book one, she plans to keep a pro low profile. That’s hard in a very small town though, and her museum coworkers quickly attempt to befriend her. Besides, since she’s afraid her predecessor might have been murdered, she’s motivated to learn more about the people around her. Almost before she knows it, she has friends. But that doesn’t mean she wants to tell them her secret.
The series explores themes of friendship or “found family,” expressing one’s authenticity, and whether or not we have an obligation to use our special gifts. How would you feel if you had a psychic power? Would you tell people or keep it a secret? Would you use it for gain, amusement, or to help others?
It’s not likely most of us will ever have to answer these questions, but that’s the fun thing about fiction: It allows us to explore questions and maybe get to know ourselves a little better. Inspire interesting conversations with others as well! If you have a book club, you can get discussion questions for A Stone Cold Murder here!
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Review
The Second Reluctant Psychic Mystery
Petra Cloch is slowly getting accustomed to life in small town New Mexico, making friends, and working in the quirky Banditt Museum. While still not comfortable with her gift of psychometry, Petra decides to practice her skill with the help of her friend and coworker, Liberty. Their practice is interrupted by a woman demanding to know the whereabouts of the rock her late husband donated. Assuring her that they know nothing about it, the widow says she believes her husband had dementia as he had begun to be forgetful, paranoid, and talking about aliens. Departing as quickly as she appeared Liberty starts to wonder. Frank was a healthy man who knew his way around the desert. And even fit people can get disoriented and die in the heat. But what's the importance of this rock? Is there more to Frank's death? It couldn't hurt to start looking for the rock and delve into Frank's last days. Haven is more than excited to start another investigation. A missing rock, a missing will, could the desert death actually be murder?
I really like Petra and completely understand being overwhelmed dealing with people. I'd rather be home with my animals too! But I like how she's venturing out and how people are welcoming her into their circle. She has friends now, even though she finds that somewhat difficult at times. I also love Liberty and her calm mature presence. Haven, however, is a bit much for me with her overexuberant eagerness. Still, she is a good counterpoint to the quieter and more sedate Petra and Liberty. I am also a bit in awe of Jenny. She really commanded a fun scene.
I liked how the mystery was a bit obscure. Was it murder, manslaughter, or a tragic accident? What's the significance of Frank's big find? Is the motive inheritance, land, fraud, or something else. I appreciated how Haven divvied up roles and assigned tasks to the members of the "book" club. I also appreciated how snacks and drinks are an integral part. Snacks, drinks, and friendship. Everyone has a task and plays an important role, no matter their abilities. I also like how they have a mind to keep the sheriff and police departments in the know. No one is running off and taking stupid risks on their own either.
Rocks, aliens, and a death in the desert combine to make DEATH AT ROCK BOTTOM a unique and engaging mystery. The more I'm around these characters the more I love them and I can't wait to see what happens next!
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Death at Rock Bottom: A Paranormal Mystery (Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery) by Kris Bock
About Death at Rock Bottom
Death at Rock Bottom: A Paranormal Mystery (Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - New Mexico
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Publication Date: July 30, 2025
She can touch an object and sense the emotions of the people who’ve held it before…
After solving the mystery of her predecessor’s death, geologist Petra Cloch wants to focus on her new job as the rocks and minerals curator at a quirky, small-town New Mexico museum. But her friend and colleague Liberty is suspicious of the “accidental” death of Frank Underwood, a retired petroleum engineer and rockhound who unexpectedly died while hiking. Frank acted odd and secretive in his last weeks—mumbling about an incredible find in the desert and aliens. Was he showing the first signs of dementia, or were more sinister forces at work?
Petra agrees to help excavate the truth, and soon, instead of meeting for book club, she and her friends become amateur investigators. Petra uses her gift and her brains to sort through the contradictory stories and confusing clues as she and her friends dig for answers.
Did Frank’s heirs decide to hasten their inheritance? Or did his rock shop business partner decide to go solo? Petra joins the local geological club to discover whether someone there acquired a taste for murder, because they’ll need rock solid evidence to catch a killer.
Perfect for fans of Paige Shelton’s Alaska Wild Mysteries and Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters!
If you love supernatural sleuths, small-town intrigue, and mysteries with a geological twist, Death at Rock Bottom is your next must-read! Grab your copy today!
About Kris Bock
Kris Bock writes mystery, suspense, and romance, often with Southwestern landscapes. In the Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. This humorous series starts with Something Shady at Sunshine Haven, which made Barnes & Noble's list of “Handpicked Favorites You'll Love!” Kris’s romantic suspense novels include stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue. Readers have called these novels “Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel.”
Learn more about Kris’s books or sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter and get an Accidental Detective short story and other freebies. Then every two weeks, you’ll get fun content about pets, announcements of new books, sales, and more. As for Kris’s romance stories, the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series stars the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, which causes as many problems as it solves.
Author Links:
BookBub Amazon US page or Amazon UK page
Purchase Links Publisher Amazon B&N Apple Kobo Google Play GoodReads
A pleasure to be here again, Cathy! I'm so glad you're enjoying the adventures of Petra and friends. 💗
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteI hadn’t heard of this series before, but I’m definitely going to check it out. The snippets from Goodreads reviews—and your review, Kathy—have totally intrigued me!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad my words helped to intrigue you. Make sure you read A STONE COLD MURDER first.
DeleteGlad to hear it! 😀
ReplyDelete