"Haunting tales of mystery and love that transcend time and death"
Chris Grover leads off this well-envisioned
anthology with Believing in Dreams, the story of a
young woman searching for the past she has never known. Her
mother's childhood was a blank until after she passes away.
Nicole comes across the photo of a house in a small
Canadian town, St. Stephans de Pins. From that moment, the
house haunts her dreams. She will have no peace until the
mystery is solved. Within hours of arriving, she meets a
handsome and charming man, converses with a cat, and
realizes that she has found the keys to her past and the
promise of her future. Though somewhat distracted by the writer's use of first
person for this story, it was well written and perfectly
paced. A great way to start you cheering for a happily ever
after. The question in Enigma by Cheryl Hames Torres
is why has a beautiful, young blind woman appeared at the
scene of several savage murders claiming she has no memory
of the events that brought her to the scene? Brace Adams is
the cop looking for answers, and falling for the lovely
young murder suspect left in his custody. Certain of her
innocence, he vows to protect her from the demon that seems
to haunt her. Unfortunately, he stands a good chance of
becoming the next victim. I found this story intriguing in that it takes some
familiar themes and gives them a quirky twist. The
characters shine, and the spark of romance remains bright
as the characters overcome horrors of the supernatural
kind. In our third entry, Lana Malloy faces a spirit who
threatens her to Get Out or Die. Her job is to help
restless spirits, and the families they are haunting, find
peace. When she takes the case of the angry spirit haunting
the home of Ellie Ramsey, she faces her biggest challenge
yet. With the help of her boyfriend and a deceased aunt,
she finds the courage to brave the chaos from generations
of pain, and bring healing to a home torn by hatred. She
also opens her heart to happiness with the man she loves. Though a bit predictable, the story is smooth and nicely
penned. The murder mystery aspect adds a nice touch of
intrigue that raises it above average and leaves Kim
Cox with a winner. 'Neath Hallowed Halls and Ivied Walls brings us two
college sweethearts reunited to solve the mystery of a
beloved professor's death. Peter and Stacey are Harvard
graduates who have found each other again since they parted
after graduation. Both receive a phone call letting them
know that their favorite professor has taken his own life.
They feel they should be there to honor his memory, and
find a reason why a man who had loved life so much would be
willing to take his own. The investigation leads then into
strange paranormal encounters, and the discovery of evil
rituals that may demand the ultimate sacrifice. A familiar environment and unpredictable plot keep this
murder investigation memorable. Harvard is an American
landmark, and this tale of obsession spawned terrors behind
the façade of higher education makes me a new fan of
Maureen McMahon. Up last is Elizabeth Delisi's short but sweet time
travel tale, Restless Spirit. Laura has lost her
husband and son. She takes a chance trying to find them
using an Ouija board. Instead she meets Rafe, a man who has
also lost a loved one, but is still among the living. They
discover they are communicating with each other from the
same town, in the same room of the same old house. What
purpose could speaking with a stranger across time serve to
mend their grieving hearts? A clever plot and a miracle that crosses time to save a
child's life let you finish this often intense anthology on
a high note. One Touch Beyond is a page turner I can
give high marks all the way through.
Reviewed by Miranda Lee
Posted October 21, 2008
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