Dead Wrong Review—Exploding Secrets and Slow-Burn Tension in Fairhaven

Annabel Chase is back with another spellbinding installment of the Crossroads Queen series, and Dead Wrong delivers everything you've come to expect—magic, mystery, mayhem, and a heroine who’s doing her best to survive it all with a castle, a cranky ghost or two, and an increasingly complicated love life.

A a Glance

A Town Under Siege (Again)

Fairhaven just can’t catch a break—and neither can Lorelei. People are dying under bizarre, unexplained circumstances, and it’s up to her to unravel the mystery. Add in a new woman with questionable motives, animals behaving erratically, random people spontaneously exploding, and a mobster out for blood, and you’ve got one very full plate.

Oh, and did I mention Kane—the Hell Prince/love interest—is avoiding her after finding out her big, buried, world-changing secret? Lorelei’s patience is wearing thin, and so is mine, to be honest. I enjoy a slow burn as much as the next reader, but at this point, their relationship feels more like glacial drift. Still, the tension is real, and the emotional stakes are high.

A Quirky Cast That Keeps Getting Better

While Kane's disappearance adds some drama, the rest of the cast truly shines in this book. The banter is sharper, the chemistry between characters more vivid, and the sense of community in Fairhaven is finally starting to click. Brody, the nature mage, is a delightful new addition, and West’s odd behavior finally gets an explanation that adds depth to his character.

The supporting cast—from bar staff to ghosts to magical townsfolk—feels more cohesive and fleshed out this time around, making the town itself feel like a living, breathing part of the narrative. I did miss Otto in this book, but here’s hoping he pops back in soon.

From Recluse to Reluctant Leader

One of the things I continue to love about this series is Lorelei herself. She’s tough, witty, and more emotionally guarded than a dragon sitting on its hoard, but we’re seeing cracks in her armor. In Dead Wrong, there’s a noticeable shift: she’s slowly becoming more involved, more communicative, more connected. Whether it’s helping the town solve a supernatural crisis or just fixing up her dilapidated castle (yes, there are more great scenes with that!), she’s moving away from isolation and toward something resembling belonging.

Final Thoughts

Dead Wrong balances dark supernatural mystery with witty dialogue and genuine heart. There’s still so much to uncover—about Lorelei, about Fairhaven, and about the increasingly tangled web of magical threats—but this book delivers major progression in character arcs, plot development, and emotional depth.

If you’ve been enjoying the series so far, this one won’t disappoint. And if you haven’t started yet, what are you waiting for? Between ghosts, demons, magical wildlife, and some of the best sarcastic dialogue in urban fantasy, the Crossroads Queen series is one worth diving into—castle moat and all.