ISBN: 1-59414-358-7 Order from: Amazon.com
The pacing and plot in this paranormal mystery has some rough spots, but realistic characters hold the reader's interest.
Reviewed by David on May 07, 2005 (rev. 1)
Genre: Mystery (ESP)
Synopsis: After suffering a head injury in a mugging, the former insurance investigator Jeffrey Resnick is starting to see strange visions. Recovering from the concussion and waiting for his broken arm to heal, the last thing an out-of-work, penniless Jeffrey needs is to be involved in a police investigation. The sentiment is heartily shared by his host, the older brother Richard, as well as the police.
Still the haunting images of a killing don't let Jeffrey rest, and his psychic sensitivity, distrusted by everybody including himself put him on a collision course with a ruthless killer.
Full Review: The plot, especially in the first half of the book, is abrupt, with main characters seeming to follow scripted lines rather than behaving naturally. There are also some melodramatic moments that seem to complicate the plot—the murder investigation is dramatic enough by itself.
However, the characters on the page seem to achieve life, with weaknesses, anxieties and virtues, and as the book gathers momentum, they pull in the readers attention. The investigation itself seems solid—neither too easy nor unusually slow, and Jeffrey's inability to use unusual senses as evidence add complexity to compensate his insight.
The climax is suitably tense, and the book is generally satisfying.
Overall: 5.5; Plot: 6; Characters: 6; Style: 5; World-building: 5; Originality: 6;
Copyright date 2005, Five Star Publishing (Five Star), December 2005, Cloth, 242 pages
ISBN: 1-59414-358-7 Order from: Amazon.com