Mina and the Cult

By Author / Illustrator

Amy McCaw

Genre

Supernatural

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

UCLan Publishing

ISBN

9781915235916

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-04-2024

Synopsis

New Orleans, 1995. Mina's having a hell of a family reunion.

After the death and chaos of Halloween, Mina and the gang are looking forward to their road trip to Roswell, New Mexico, where they are hoping to be thrilled by the alien stories and have some quiet time with Mina's parents. However, their trip ends abruptly and before they know it, they are back in New Orleans. Instead of enjoying the fall celebrations and renovating the mansion, they find themselves investigating a serial killer who claims to be a real vampire in disturbing letters to the press.

As the city is gripped by fear, a group of believers is planning to disrupt the fragile balance between the humans and the supernatural creatures hiding in the shadows. This threatens the peace that Mina and her friends have been working so hard at maintaining.

Caught between investigating the killer and trying to stop the group's destructive plans, Mina's third mystery might be her last . . .

'I could not put this down! Strong Buffy meets Charmed in New Orleans vibes... so much nineties nostalgia.' Cynthia Murphy.

See the full series: Mina and the Undead (book 1); Mina and the Slayers (book 2); Mina and the Cult (book 3)

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Reviews

Mina and the Cult is the third in the Mina series, and is a YA murder mystery set in New Orleans.

In this book we see Mina, her sister Libby, boyfriend Jared and Della take a road trip to Roswell, New Mexico to visit her parents. However, Mina soon rediscovers why she usually has nothing to do with her father. It transpires that he is a leader of a cult who are determined to expose the existence of supernatural beings (whether they live peacefully or not). He feels destined to find a vampire and tell the world about their kind, even though he loves his wife who is also a vampire and his daughters work hard so that the vampires can exist peacefully among the community.

In true Mina style we are launched straight into the action. The tension builds and when Mina's trip to Roswell ends prematurely and they return to New Orleans to find that a serial killer is murdering their victims in Mina's home town. The killer who claims to be a vampire, is leaving a tarot cards on the murder victims and is writing letters to the press. Can Mina and the vampire slayers catch the culprit before they strike again?

Mina and the Slayers hope to be able to investigate the killer and stop the outcast, extremist group’s plans but this could prove too much…

A fun read with Buffy the Vampire vibes that will appeal to fans of The Vampire Diaries and Twilight. Such an action-packed read with many twists and turns along the way. I was surprised by the identity of the serial killer. I love it when a book isn't predictable!

322 pages / Reviewed by Clair Bossons, school librarian