Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Disclaimer: Reading is all about discovery, but this Book Review does not shy away from spoiling specific scenes as this is more of a look inside the good and bad of a book.
The Analysis:
This was a booktube recommendation. I was drawn to the explanation of the plot and this quickly rose to the top of my TBR. So, let’s book review it.
Here’s the Blurb:
With her blue-black hair and dark eyes, Raye Larsen has never fit in with the Scandinavian community of New Bergin, Wisconsin. Being adopted is part of the reason she feels like an outsider, but what really sets Raye apart is her ability to see dead people. Everywhere. She's learned to keep her visions to herself...until she stumbles onto the ghost of a murder victim who needs Raye's help. Enter Bobby Doucet, a distractingly handsome homicide detective who has been tracking a killer all the way from New Orleans. Could this be the break in his case he's been looking for all along? Meanwhile, the deeper Raye gets involved with the case-and with Bobby-the closer she comes to unlocking the mystery of her own origins. What she discovers about herself could destroy everything she knows...and everyone she loves. Is finding the truth worth the risk?
The cover is gorgeous. Does it match the story? Not by very much at all. It is a paranormal mystery. I'm not sure what that cover would look like, but its not this. This implies action and maybe a more traditional paranormal romance storyline. However, its decidely mystery.
Now The Story:
Book Info:
Pages: 352
Author: Lori Handeland
Available: Amazon
This book takes some time getting into. I loved the prologue that takes a step back in time to a good old fashioned witch burning, lol. The man responsible for all that was truly cruel, especially when he wanted to hurt the womans babies. But then the book fast forwards to the present and the whole thing reads a bit slow.
We're introduced to the heroine, an elementary school teacher, that see's ghosts. She has several of these enounters within the first few chapters. But instead of being intrigued, I find myself mildly annoyed by the children ghosts. It just seems to be a minor nuisance than necessarily interesting. Which I understand is the point. She doesn't want to be dealing with the vengeful and sorrowful ghosts so she goes where there is less of an encounter with them. And she gets the occassional kid in this small town, which in itself could be sad, but its not played up that way.
Fastforward to the introduction of the hero, a New Orlean's Homicide Detective, who in my mind looks like Rege Jean-Page from Bridgerton fame. I further annoyed by the depiction of this small town through his lens. No, its not cute or interesting that people are asking where his ancesters are from just because he looks different. No, its not cute that the sherriff is all uncomfortable over seeing a bra when in most urban cities, not just New Orleans, a person wouldn't even look in her direction. This depection of small towns further sours my opinion of them. Especially when it permeates most small town romances irregardless of who's writing it.
But his introduction is the first chance we get to see the sparks between our pair and I'm not convinced. It's where this story loses its first point for me. The hero repeatedly calls the heroine, interesting. But I find myself asking the question, how? He doesn't really know about her psychic abilities and he doesn't even suspect. So this notion that she's so interesting falls flat. The woman has turned herself into a hermit for good reason, but there's nothing interesting about her outside of her sixth sense. He doesn't even scratch the surface of that part of her.
Side note: One of the adult ghosts haunting her is her father. This man boggles the mind on inappropriateness. There is a scene where he feels almost entitled to see his daughters nakedness because what? He's been around for longer than even she realized. First, that's disgusting. Second, culture/time differences aside the notion of privacy is not a new one. His demand of her time fresh out the shower had me looking at him differently after that.
Which leads us to what the hero does well? His job. And its where this story truly sings. Its this portion that prevents me for rating it simply a three. I'm invested in the mystery. Women start to show up dead all over the state with one thing in common and thats a brand of a wolf on their body. Its what brings the hero to that small town to begin with and, just as they kill the serial killer. Its revealed that maybe their is a whole killing club with more than one enrollent. I also come to appreciate the Sheriff that chimes in occassionally and is more than prepared for the job. Despite the fact that they don't get a lot of such cases in town.
The story fills out in the typical way you might find in a normal mystery. Its quite clear by the middle, why this is all happening. Even if the killer themselves aren't revealed or how this is all going to wrap up. I quite enjoyed this part, and were I to continue with the story I feel like I understand better what to expect.
The reason this is not more popular could very well be the misleading cover. Its a mystery with paranormal elements. The heroine is a psychic witch, the victims are all witches, and the killer is of the supernatural persuasion, but for all intents and purposes its a normal mystery.
Story At A Glance:
Recommendation: 4 out of 5
Read Series Continuation: Yes
The Ratings:
Book Cover Appeal:
🍓🍓🍓🍓
Story & Narration:
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
Romance:
🍓🍓
Character/(s) Personality:
🍓🍓🍓
