The Accidental Medium

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Thuli Madonsela speaks about the importance of SA's political future in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Whilst I binged the first book, I found this one harder to get into and I didn't realise how much I had forgotten from the first book until it was mentioned in the second one but with little context to jog my memory as I read the first one months ago.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2023 as I adored Tracy Whitwell's first book in this series. The Accidental Medium (book 1) was one of my fav reads of last year. I loved the audio book last time, so I wanted to read the audiobook for this one too.The TV job pays but Tanz does not have the most glamorous of roles - that goes to established TV star Caroline. Caroline is a prize bitch however this hides her own demons which Tanz is able to help her with, but also gaining insight into her own life. Along the way, Tanz becomes friends with Gladys, a healer - a wonderful character I'd love to meet, and she also seems to be the only one able to get through to Caroline, one of Tanz's acting colleagues and a real prima-donna that nobody else knows how to deal with. As well as lots of Tanz-style laughs, there are some tender moments in this book, including taking Caroline for chips and the part where Tanz shares a message with Gladys which had me in tears. As someone rather partial to the Irish, I adored the relationship Tanz developed with the barman, Pat. I won't spoil anything, but I did wish we had more of their connection. I know the book isn't a love story in any way, shape or form but hey, the sex sounded pretty thrilling to me and I'd have loved a bit more.. because I'm clearly into voyeurism. Not. Highly addictive with a main character that keeps you laughing even when faced with ghosts. I could not get enough, I devoured this book and wanted more. It's always refreshing to read a book that makes you laugh and one in which you wish you could grab a glass of wine with the main character and hear all about their exploits. The Accidental Medium is exactly that book.

I really enjoyed this book and found the characters to be brilliant. Tanz is hysterical and I think everyone will find her entertaining and want to read more about her, I know I do! There are some emotional bits in the story and some creepy bits but most of all it's fun and you won’t want to put it down. Fantastic ghostly sleuth story, the second in a set but would read well as a stand alone book! It’s hilarious, with the most brilliant characters, authentic ghostly happenings, and addictive reading, this one is hard to put down. This book is a little more serious than the first one! But it still has its snippy one liners and no nonsense attitude about it! I love how common and open the character is. Like how she openly talks about starting her period, how shit sex was with someone - it's like talking to your friends and that's why I think it's such an enjoyable read. It's so chill and relaxed. Tanz is an actress and also an accidental medium - she learned by chance that she can communicate with the dead and this has made her life very interesting indeed.

In this second outing Tanz accepts a paid acting job on a TV series filming in her hometown of Newcastle. However, it’s not long until Tanz finds herself haunted by visions of the mysterious Gin Palace. She begins to piece together details of a terrible tragedy that took place there. However, it becomes clear that the Gin Palace is guarded by a malignant spirit. No further details to avoid spoilers. Of all the people (alive and not) introduced, I think I enjoyed Frank the most. I wish we had had some more interaction with him, but perhaps this will happen in a later book. I was excited to read Gin Palace by Tracy Whitwell, the second book in The Accidental Medium especially as it was set in Newcastle and Gateshead, in the lovely Northeast of England. After an interesting twelve years messing about in front of the camera and traveling the world, Tracy discovered she still loved writing and completed her first full length play KABOOM! A son, many stage plays, screenplays and a music video followed, until 2012 when she realized she was finally ready to do the one thing she’d longed to do since she was six. She wrote her first novel, The Accidental Medium – a crime/horror/comedy tale about an alcohol-soaked, gobby, thrill-seeking actress who talks to ghosts. (Who knows where the inspiration came from . . .) For me this book fell flat. I couldn’t really connect with Tanz or the other characters associated with her.

Following Tanz on her journey of discovering she is a medium we are treated to a cosy, funny and fast paced read full of lively characters, swearing and spirits (of all types.) Tanz is a struggling actress with a gift she would gladly not be in possession of: she can talk to ghosts! Poor Tanz has got enough on her plate juggling trying to make her acting dreams a reality with the demands of supply teaching – a profession she is wholly unsuited to! With Tanz feeling as if she is edging ever closer to a complete and utter meltdown, babbling ghosts is the very last thing she needs. But it seems as if things are finally looking up when she gets a paid acting gig in her hometown! Is Tanz on the precipice of superstardom? Or is she about to inadvertently stumble into more ghostly capers? I absolutely loved this book. I needed to have a get lost in a book moment or two, so I bought the previous book The Accidental Medium. If you’re wondering, you can read them as standalone books, but they are so humorous and interesting, for the sheer escapism I’d say buy the books! There’s a little bit of everything in them.This was an easy book to read and finished it one setting. The was lots of humour especially when the author describes life on a television set and quirks of the north-east. She does capture life in Newcastle accurately in her writing. The secondary characters are interesting and quirky in their own way and generally push the story. Cue a job and a change of scenery with a host of new quirky characters, Tanz starts flexing some spiritual muscle and encounters a malevolent spirit that may just be her undoing. The constant ‘making homosexuality a personality trait’ thing, putting all gay people into a box and stereotyping them.