A geologist with an unwanted psychic gift, a man on the run, a dead body, and a friend accused of…murder?

Geologist Petra Cloch can touch an object and sense the emotions of the people who’ve held it before. Although her paranormal powers are a burden, they’ve helped her solve several crimes and make friends in her new southwestern small town. She’s enjoying settling into her new job when her landlord, Shelley, introduces an “old friend.” Wayne seems cagey. He wants to keep his visit a secret and has recently adopted an energetic dog “for protection.”

When Petra stumbles over Wayne’s dead body, suspicions quickly turn to murder, with Shelley the prime suspect. Petra and her friends investigate and quickly uncover a slew of suspects, scams, and motives. Petra’s psychic abilities alone aren’t enough to reveal the true killer. To clear Shelley, Petra will need all of her cleverness, the help of her found family, some luck, and the dog that seems to have adopted her.

Titles in the Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery series include: A Stone Cold Murder ~ Death at Rock Bottom ~ Buried in Betrayal ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Buried in Betrayal
Series:  Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery #3
Author:  Kris Bock
Published:  January 7, 2026
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Buried in Betrayal is the third title in Kris Bock’s Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery series. I’ve enjoyed this series with its touch of the paranormal and a cast full of quirky characters, and Buried in Betrayal only added to that enjoyment.  This time, Petra’s landlady, Shelley, is in deep trouble when a man who was visiting turns up dead.  When it’s revealed just how much of a jerk he truly was, well, it doesn’t look good for Shelley.  That’s when Petra and the various members of the “book club” swing into action and begin their own investigation of Wayne’s death.  And it seems he’s got a lot of elders angry at him, and several secrets to be revealed.  Yes, I am being purposefully vague because this is a paranormal mystery… and you should enjoy figuring out whodunit on your own.

I found this addition to the series well-written, full of red herrings, twists, turns, and surprises.  I love the group of friends who call themselves the book club, and how Petra has found her own unique family here, especially given what her own family is like.  When you add in an adorable protection dog who seems to think that Petra is his human of choice, well, that’s just icing on the mysteriously served cake.  I had fun here, and I’m already looking forward to the next story in this paranormal mystery series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon