Dead is a State of Mind by Marlene Perez  

Book 2 in the Nightshade High series

I already reviewed the first book in this series, Dead is the New Black (find review here), so without repeating background, let me get right to the point: Also fun.

I realize that I may be holding the Nightshade High series to a lower standard than I have some of the books I didn’t enjoy (recently Fire). But I think that’s because it doesn’t take itself too seriously—each book is a super-easy, short read with high school drama and even lots of mentions of good food. (Our heroine Daisy Giordano, is quite the cook.) No pretending to solve deep philosophical problems here.

In this round, one of the best-looking, most popular teachers at Nightshade High is murdered. In a town of shape shifters (most werewolves), suspects abound. And then there’s the new kid in town, Duke Sherrad, who is fabulously good looking and a fortune teller to boot. He’s living a t Penny’s house on a student exchange program, and while she has eyes for Duke, he’s lost on Daisy, who is immune to his charms. But wait—what about Ryan? Yes, he and Daisy are still together, but he’s acting withdrawn and strange, missing dates and refusing to say what’s wrong. Daisy has only that ‘mind of its own’ jukebox at the local café to spin its own choice of songs as a way of giving her clues.

Daisy does another good job of sleuthing, and her psychic powers are developing to the point that they rival her sisters’. The three girls still have a good relationship, and so when one of them falls in love with a ghost, Daisy is there for her. But in all this prying, the question of what really happened to the girls’ father surfaces. I’m guessing we have to read book 3.

Note: If you happen to be a skilled reader who like his or her vampires to be serious, bloodsucking murderers—ones who fit traditional vampire lore, I’m going to try to review The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I read it a few years back when it was a wild best seller. Now that is one good read on the supernatural!