My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

When I get mad, I get absolutely, totally fearless. You should ask my brother, he’s seen me like that loads of times, the annoying toad that he is. Calls me a hellcat.

My Review:

 

The Talisman is the second book in the series and just as entertaining and skillfully written as the first. Although, while still often humorous and comical, it was a considerably more angsty read than The Letter, due to the untimely death of a beloved character and the subsequent grieving that followed. I adored all the unique and oddly endearing characters and was sorry to see the demise of the easy-going Pip, yet my heart continues to belong to the captivating Master of Mischief known as Jimby. Despite the tragedy of Pip, I frequently found myself smirking at their sassy quips and occasionally laughed aloud at their antics while reading.

Eliza J. Scott is a talented wordsmith and gifted storyteller who deftly laced lush details and cleverly amusing descriptions onto every page.   Her characters were intriguingly quirky, oddly endearing, and individuals I would enjoy spending time with. Their teasing and exchanges of lively banter were loaded with sharp wit, irreverent humor, and wry innuendo. Lytell Stangdale appears to be a village generally populated by the eccentric, as most small towns actually are, yet this little village seems to have several extra special sets of the peculiar with an elderly pink haired gentleman who purchased a second-hand set of dentures from eBay and BTW, his carpets matched his drapes. Also of note was a wrinkly miniskirt wearing cougar with the nickname of Maneater; Lycra Len, who only wore bicycle clothing; the extremely fragrant Freida whose pungent aroma typically announced her arrival before she spoke as, she didn’t waste her time or fortune on soap or any form of hygiene; the fun-loving Jimby and his busy terrorist rooster; Violet the burlesque loving 50’s fashionista; and an obscene texting grandmother who blamed the predictive text setting on her phone for her suggestive messages, which often involved the vicar. I adored them all and will be eagerly awaiting a return to the village for Violet’s story. Please hurry, Ms. Scott, I’m renewing my passport just in case.

I truly scored with bonus Brit vocabulary words which included: croggy – to ride on a bicycle as a passenger; gormless – dull-witted or lacking intelligence; ratbag – an unpleasant or despicable person; ploughman’s lunch – according to Wikipedia this is an “English cold meal” with bread, cheese, onions, butter, and some form of pickle with the possible additions of ham, green salad, hard-boiled eggs, and apple; grandad shirt – a button up that doesn’t need to be tucked in; diddlin’ – doing (which would have a sexual connotation in the US but not the UK); now then – hello.   However, my most faithful resource, Mr. Google, was unable to assist me with the quaint terminology of knack-naked or skuttle-gob.