Liam Baker can see things. Dead people like to visit him and tell them how they were wronged. Some might call it a gift, other’s a curse. But either way this ability makes him useful to Los Angeles homicide detective Kimball Thompson.Some madman is slitting the throats of young male prostitutes and then dumping their bodies in the desert with vague clues of pink feathers and the number five. … five. Usually Liam can talk to the spirits of the dead. But someone is blocking him. Someone is taunting him.
The case is rapidly deteriorating into a violent, psychic pissing contest and Liam can’t see far enough ahead to figure out who wins or who dies.
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Note: this is a totally biased rec! I know and love the author. I also love stories about psychics and cops working together to solve murders, so this was always going to be a hit with me. I think it might be a hit for you too!
I really enjoyed this paranormal romantic mystery/suspense (how many subgenres can i fit in there?) from S.C. Wynne. The story in itself isn’t groundbreaking. We’ve seen the psychic character pop up many times, and generally the psychic works with police to help solve homicides. That’s the case here, as well. But there are a couple of things set this one apart.
First, the characters. Liam is grieving for his dead lover. That grief is like its own character, living between him and homicide detective Kimball Thompson, who works with Liam and clearly has feelings for him. Liam is a prickly character, kind of distant, partly because of the grief, and partly just because that’s who he is. He represses his emotions, and he isn’t the easiest person to love.
Second, the storyline is a little different in that the killer they are trying to find is psychic too. That’s not a plot element that I’ve read before. It gave the killer an edge, so that was an interesting development.
There’s something about a mystery coupled with repressed attraction between characters that just does it for me. It makes my heart hurt in all the perfect ways! For the characters alone, I highly rec this book.
Great characters and immersive plot. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me, otherwise would have given this 5 stars.
Interesting premise as two psychics – one working for the cops the other the murderer – battle each other in a fight to stop a serial killer. Some scary moments and an appealing romance thrown in for good measure.
This was an entertaining listen from one of my favorite narrators. The story was engaging, and the characters were interesting.
This book is a good example of how to build an interesting story without expending too much energy on superfluous details. I gain just enough information to understand that I am listening to a book about a detective and psychic team up trying to catch a killer without being inundated with details on police procedure.
Worth the listen if you like Kale Williams’ narration, and you are looking for a slightly creepy mystery/romance.
Listened to the audiobook, which makes a story always even better than reading it for yourself. As always when Kale Williams is narrating.
The plot is good. On the on hand there is a mystery with murdered male prostitutes and a psychic and cop team hot on the trail of the murdered. On the other we have a grieving character who is trying to slowly move on from grieving and to possible romance. I thought that part was well done. Liam and Kimball slowly see each other in a new life, though Detective Thompson remains a bit of mystery.
I did thought the story overall was a bit thin. It’s very character driven, focussed solely on Liam and Kimball. There is hardly to no interaction with other characters. Not Thomposon’s fellow cops nor mention of friends on Liam’s side. That made it that the story was not very rounded. I hope the world building will grow in the following books in the series.
4.5 Stars!!!
Liam has seen dead people since he was a kid and has been helping his dead lover’s partner, LA Homicide Detective Kimball Thompson with some cases he’s been working on with a high success rate. Liam has been grieving for the nine months since the loss of William, unable to move on until Thompson decides it’s time for him to start dating again and, shaking Liam to his core. Between Thompson dating the perfect Denny and the serial killer they’re trying to catch, who seems to also be a psychic and more powerful than Liam is, Liam’s life is thrown into a turmoil the likes of which he’s not sure he’ll be able to get out alive.
I loved Liam and Thompson. They were just so perfect for each other. They had a great rapport, worked well together solving cases and there was this underlying sexual tension between them, even when Liam wasn’t ready to acknowledge it. The pacing was very realistic, a bit of a slow burn, but just perfect considering what they’d gone through. Thompson was reliable and I just loved how supportive he was of Liam. And Liam, once he finally realized he had feelings for Thompson, was all in and worked on putting Thompson’s doubts at rest.
I didn’t quite like that Liam kept calling Thompson by his surname, but I love them enough not to have that be that much of an issue for me. What was a bit more an issue for me was the way the things with Denny, Thompson’s date, were dealt, but I guess that’s more of a personal issue than anything else.
S.C. Wynne did a great job with the case Liam and Thompson were working on, keeping me on my toes and wondering until the last page! I would’ve liked a bit more of closure at the end, but it worked well overall. The book was amazing! Fast-paced, well-written, kind of creepy in some parts but well-balanced with the romance developing between Liam and Thompson.
I read the book almost 3 and a half years ago, so it was a treat to listen to the audiobook in preparation for book 3 to be released. Kale Williams did a fantastic job with both the story and all the characters, bringing the story to life in all it’s suspenseful glory.
Very recommendable!
3.5 stars- audiobook. I enjoyed this book and really liked the narrator
This book hit all the boxes for me. A twisty mystery. Two interesting main characters with a hot romance. Good dialog. And I loved the psychic element. Well done!
Fascinating premise of psychic working with police to solve murders. I liked the connection between the main characters and their gradual bonding after the tragedy that impacted both of them. Full review to follow.
Wow, I really enjoyed this. Great characters that were really well done and intriguing (although I wish there was more info to visualize them). Liam really captured me, Thompson not as much (not sure if his POV would change this), but the two of them together really works.
The mystery was twisty and unique. It leaves you in suspense on both the mystery and the romance side until the end. There were a lot of unanswered questions for me, which being a huge mystery/suspense fan would have made this a 3 star, but I really love this world and the characters. Since it’s a series I’m hoping we will get those answers in the next one. So I’m calling it 3.5 stars rounded up.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy.
4.5 Stars
Give me a psychic character and I’m there. The author sucked me right in with this murder mystery featuring Liam, a man who sees dead people he doesn’t particularly want to see. The elements of the mystery were well done, and the crime solving tactics were interesting and well thought out. The fact that Liam was already friends/working partner with stalwart Detective Thompson set a good backdrop to their relationship and gave plausiblity to the awkwardness and tentativeness they each felt at potentially moving said friendship to another level. While the murders are gruesome, and solving them was front and center, they weren’t too graphically depicted. For me this is a plus, as I could fully understand what was happening without gratuitous details. Liam’s abilities seem to have been merely touched on in this first book – I’m really looking forward to finding out more about the depth of his clairvoyant talents, and the depth of his healing at Thompson’s side.