15 | June | 2015 | By Hook Or By Book

Tags

Adult Fiction, Charmed tv series, Cults, Ghosts, Paranormal Romance, The Sixth Sense, Witches

I received this ebook from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review.

~ With her dark hair and eyes Raye Larsen has never quite fit in with the blond-haired, blue-eyed residents of the Scandinavian town of New Bergin, Wisconsin. She’s also adopted, which makes her even more of an outsider. No one knows about the secret she’s been careful to hide though. Raye can communicate with the deceased and help them move on. When she’s contacted by the spirit of a murder victim, and handsome New Orleans detective Bobby Doucet arrives in town, they wind up investigating together. The more Raye gets involved, the more she starts to realize that this is somehow tied to her past, and it threatens herself and everyone she loves.

The Sixth Sense

Meets

Charmed

I know this theme has been done before, but Lori Handeland has managed to put an enjoyable spin on it and set up an intriguing mythology. The book begins in the year 1600 with a husband and wife magically sending their three infant daughters into the future, just as they’re burned at the stake by a witch hunter. Flash foward to the present day: Raye is living in small town New Bergin, trying to fit in as much as she can, which includes hiding her gift. She happens upon a murder scene and is contacted by the victim, but instead of asking for help, the way other spirits have, this one gives Raye a warning. Bobby Doucet arrives in town after he becomes aware of the recent murder. It bears a chilling resemblance to others committed by a serial killer he’s been pursuing. As Raye and Bobby become more involved, and discover who is really behind the murders, they not only find out there’s a direct correlation between the murders and Raye’s origins, but that she’s a target herself.

Both Raye and Bobby are characters you can’t help but fall in love with. Raye is strong, smart and passionate, yet she’s also a bit insecure, because she’s always felt like an outsider. She has a great sense of humor which helps her keep her head, when others would probably be losing it. Bobby is haunted by a tragedy from his past which gives him a vulnerability that stops him from coming on too strong. It’s not love at first sight for these two but their chemistry is excellent, and you wind up rooting for them to get past their differences, and their personal pain so they can be together.

The story is interesting and suspenseful, and I loved the way Lori Handeland wove the historical backstory into the present day events. The only thing I had an issue with were the multiple POVS. It switches back and forth between Raye’s first person POV, to Bobby’s which is in the third person. I found this to be a little distracting at first, but the plot was so exciting, that after the first few chapters it didn’t really bother me. The ending was a little rushed, but ultimately satisfying and set things up nicely for the next book: Heat of the Moment. I haven’t read a straight paranormal romance for a while, and I’m glad I read this. I’m looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy.