Fairly standard urban fantasy book. Follows the tropes, but with better written characters.

Joanne Walker is a character I actually enjoy reading. She's plucky, she has heart, she isn't perfect, she isn't a loner.

In this book, Joanne needs to figure out how to stop the zombies coming back from the dead. It just so happens that there's a cauldron rumored to bring back the dead on display at the museum... of course, its true, and Joanne need to figure out how to stop it.

While generally, I like the characters in this book- I find Joanne's and Morrison's love at a distance thing annoying. Everyone knows, and the way she reacts is so unprofessional as a police officer. I suspect that in a real world setting, Joanne would be transferred to a different station.

Overall, entertaining. Not good literature, but fun. Perfect Sunday afternoon read. ( )

It was nice to be back in Joanne's world. It's in Seattle and even though the author has since moved to Ireland, she did live there. The book was also set just a couple of days before Halloween so how appropriate that I get to read it a few days before then too? ;-)

Looking forward to seeing how Joanne' grows into being a Shaman and learning more about it. Too bad they ended the relationship with Thor (Edward), does this mean that it opened the door for Captain Morrison? ( )

At this point, I have read book 4 of the Walker Papers four or five times. If you are reading them straight through (as opposed to over the 1 year spacing at which they were released), some of the refresher material in the first couple of chapters can feel a little repetitive. Get through it, over it, skim it, whatever. Book 4 still provides a fantastic story - ghosts and zombies this time. Jo has finally started to get her act together with regard to her powers; her love life is, as always, a mess; she puts her skills to work as a detective; Suzanne, Cernunnos, and the Wild Hunt come back for a visit. ( )

Joanne Walker needs a Manual. Not a manual for Petite, her much-beloved classic purple Mustang, but a Manual on Shamanism. Cause believe her, this whole Shamanism thing is tough! Especially when your mentor has disappeared, and zombies are pouring out of the cauldron at your Halloween party! And just when you are finally getting a handle on this whole 'boyfriend' thing, too. Ah, well, saving the world comes first, and Joanne, in all her 6' glory, is just the girl for the job.

If you have a daughter, a niece, a daughter of a friend, or most especially yourself, run, don't walk, to purchase every book in this series! I HIGHLY recommend this series. Joanne is flawed, without a doubt. She is low on confidence, but high in sense of self, and her journey is a fascinating one. Unlike a lot of the series out there that feature women leads, Joanne admits her flaws, but stands, for the most part, on her own. She accepts, and appreciates, the help of her friends, including a 70 year-old mentor whom you can't help but come to love, but she never just lays down and becomes a damsel in distress. She may wind up in distress multiple times during the series, but by golly, she can haul her own ashes, thank you very much. If someone else is around to assist, well, great, wonderful, but this is NOT the "Oh, help me, someone, I am so weak and helpless!" main character written by a lot of women authors who should know better. Neither, thank goodness, does Joanne hop from bed to bed, taking advantage of what each can give her. She is stronger than that, and a terrific role model for today's modern girls.

Neither does Ms. Murphy write an 'unbelievable' character. Yes, Joanne has powers, but she takes that power for her character and grows it within a series of logical boundaries, built on an understanding of Native culture and belief systems. She doesn't grab a new superpower every new book that comes out, which makes her strengths believable within the development of an urban fantasy, and gives you an insight into the character. It is a great deal of fun to watch Joanne grow and change, and begin to understand her own personal potential as the series develops.

The secondary character development is marvelous. There is a core group of secondary characters, whose development is very well managed - you come to know them as people, and truly like them. Additional players are added, whether good, bad, or indifferent in character, when needed. Each has their own series of quirks which make them great additions to the story lines.

Overall, this is a marvelous series of books, well worth adding to anyone's library. I have read them all multiple times, and can hardly wait for the next!

Urban Shaman (The Walker Papers, Book 1)
Thunderbird Falls (The Walker Papers, Book 2)
Coyote Dreams (The Walker Papers, Book 3)
Walking Dead (The Walker Papers, Book 4)
Demon Hunts (The Walker Papers, Book 5)
Spirit Dances (The Walker Papers, Book 6)
Raven Calls (The Walker Papers, Book 7)

And also, don't forget to check out C.E. Murphy and Faith Hunter's

Easy Pickings
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Normally I don't care for zombies in my fantasy literature - the ick factor is just too high for me. (I don't do horror movies, either.) This book is probably the first exception as Joanne disliked them as much as I do. I love that she now as a better sense of what she is doing with her shamanic abilities, and she has even studied a few things related to this so that she is better prepared for future needs. It seems to me that as Joanne better understands the mechanics of what she is doing, the better I, as the reader, can understand them, too.
At the beginning of the book Joanne is dating the mechanic she has nicknamed Thor. I really like the guy and how genuine and honest he is with her, but I feel sorry for him because I know that it is not him that Joanne really wants. She takes him for granted and does not give the relationship any real chance at surviving.
The mess with the cauldron is an interesting bit of folklore that ironically ties back to Ireland, where Joanne's mother comes from. I like also that it introduces some new characters, such as the medium Sonata, and brings back Suzanne Quinley from the first book. Suzanne has got some serious magic of her own, and the courage to use it wisely. This makes me wonder if the author couldn't give her a series of her own in the YA genre. My favorite part of the book is when Suzanne uses her future-seeing abilities and Joanne tunes in. Joanne gets to see all of her possible past, present, and future selves based on alternate choices she could have made throughout her life. This was absolutely fascinating for me because I am always wondering about the "what ifs" with the main characters of the books I read. How I wish more of the books I read would find a way to employ this tactic, heck I would not mind it in real life!
As for loose ends, there are two that really bug me. The first is the outcome of the annoying insurance adjuster, since he just seemed to fall of the radar at the end. The second is Captain Morrison and his ever-evolving relationship with Joanne. He plays a major part at the climax, but the reader does not get to see any sort of personal reaction on Morrison's behalf or his reaction to Joanne's new relationship status. I will just have to wait to see what happens in the next book, Demon Hunts (Walker Papers, Book 5). ( )