When Tony
Logan finds a roll of undeveloped film clearing out his house, a nagging
feeling in the back of his head tells him not to develop it. His sister Marie
however urges him to print some photos when he tells her they were taken at
their mother’s funeral many years ago. What they discover on the photos is
something that shocks them to the core. Tony and his sisters; Marie and Cheryl
embark on a quest to find out the truth about their mothers death and abandonment
by their father. It leads them into the dangerous world of the occult. This is
a well written supernatural thriller with a twist at every turn. Although it
deals with the occult and there are a few nail-biting and gruesome moments it
has enough humour and warmth to steer away from full out horror. This is what I
liked best about this book, the depth of the characters. Before any spooky
happenings, we get to know Tony Logan very well. He is not your usual hero;
middle aged, down on his luck and recently divorced from the love of his life.
He struggles with getting back on his feet again. I had great empathy with Tony
and I understood his actions, despite willing him to leave the past well alone.
The interactions between Tony, his estranged sisters and husbands, provide some
of the comedy moments. But as they argue we feel that they still care for each
other and that in the end blood is thicker than water. I enjoyed reading this
book and was surprised and delighted by its originality and unexpected plot
turns. The book is mostly written in the first person and we share Tony’s views
and insights. Later in the book it turns to 3rd person narration as
we follow his brother in law’s antics. I thought this was a good change of pace
and worked with that particular plot line. This is my first book by this author
but I’m hoping to discover more. Maybe the follow up to this book as the ending
is left temptingly open.
